Windows Game Mode

What it changes

Enables Windows Game Mode, which Windows turns on automatically when it detects a game running.

Why it helps

• Windows Update will not install drivers or send restart notifications while a game is active.
• Background processes get less CPU time, and the game's threads are prioritised on the main cores.
• Microsoft's default and their recommended state for gaming PCs.

Trade-offs

• On a small number of older systems Game Mode caused stutter. That was largely fixed in Windows 10 builds after 2019, but if a game stutters with it on, try it off.
• Streaming or recording software may get less CPU time while a game runs.
• No restart and no administrator rights needed.

Details

• Sets AllowAutoGameMode and AutoGameModeEnabled to 1 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\GameBar.
• Same setting as Windows Settings, Gaming, Game Mode.

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Part of Performance Tweaks. This page is the same text as the app's Learn more button, generated from Help/tweaks/game_mode.md. To fix something, edit that file (or open an issue); wiki edits are overwritten on the next sync.