Gaming
Windows 11 Gaming: Settings That Matter for Smooth Play
Written by Windows 11 Field Guide Editorial Team · Updated
Windows 11 gaming is mostly about a handful of settings that are easy to miss: Game Mode, Xbox Game Bar, the per-app graphics page, HDR, power mode and your monitor’s refresh rate. None of them will turn an old laptop into a gaming rig, but getting them right removes a lot of the stutter, tearing and “why is this running on the wrong GPU” problems people blame on Windows itself.
This hub walks through each setting in the order we would check it on a new or freshly reinstalled PC, explains what it actually does, and points you to our detailed guides for each topic. Everything here applies to Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2, which share the same Settings layout, and to both Home and Pro editions.
Start with a quick checklist
If you only have five minutes, run through this list. Each line links to a deeper guide further down or elsewhere on the site.
| Check | Where to find it | What you want |
|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Settings > Gaming > Game Mode | On |
| Graphics driver | Windows Update or your GPU maker’s app | Current version |
| Refresh rate | Settings > System > Display > Advanced display | Highest rate your monitor supports |
| Power mode | Settings > System > Power & battery | Best performance while gaming (plugged in) |
| GPU per game | Settings > System > Display > Graphics | High performance on laptops with two GPUs |
| HDR / Auto HDR | Settings > System > Display > HDR | On only if your display really supports HDR |
The biggest wins usually come from the second and third rows. A missing or outdated graphics driver and a monitor stuck at 60 Hz are the two most common reasons a gaming PC feels slower than it should.
Game Mode: what it does and when to leave it alone
Game Mode is on by default in Windows 11. You can check it in Settings > Gaming > Game Mode. While a game is running in the foreground, Game Mode tells Windows to prioritise it: Windows Update will not install drivers or show restart notifications in the middle of a session, and background activity is kept in check so frame rates are steadier.
It is not a magic FPS booster. On a capable PC, the difference is often small. Where it helps most is preventing interruptions, such as a driver update or restart prompt landing in the middle of a match. We recommend leaving it on. If a specific game stutters or behaves oddly, turn Game Mode off as a test, play for a while, then turn it back on if nothing changes.
Our Game Mode guide covers the setting in more depth, and Game Mode tweaks explains which “optimisations” floating around online are worth your time and which are myths.
Xbox Game Bar and Captures
Xbox Game Bar is the overlay that opens when you press Win+G. It gives you widgets for audio, performance, capture and more without leaving your game. If nothing appears, open Settings, search for “Xbox Game Bar” and make sure the option to enable it is turned on.
The shortcuts Microsoft documents for Game Bar are:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Win+G | Show or hide the Game Bar overlay |
| Win+Alt+R | Start or stop recording a clip |
| Win+Alt+M | Turn the microphone on or off during a recording |
| Win+Alt+Print Screen | Take a screenshot of the game or app |
Recordings are saved as MP4 files and screenshots as PNG files in the Captures folder inside your Videos folder. You can change capture options, including audio and video quality, in Settings > Gaming > Captures. Some games block the Windows key; if a shortcut does nothing in a full-screen game, try it in windowed or borderless mode, or change the shortcut in Game Bar’s own settings.
For a full tour, read our Xbox Game Bar guide. If you buy and launch PC games through Microsoft’s own store, the Xbox app guide and our Game Pass explainer cover that side.
Per-app graphics settings: make sure games use the right GPU
Laptops with both integrated and dedicated graphics sometimes run a game on the weaker chip. Windows 11 lets you fix that per game.
- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- Under the list of apps, select the game. If it is not listed, add it by browsing to its .exe file.
- Select Options.
- Choose High performance to use the dedicated GPU, then save.
The same page has Optimizations for windowed games under the default settings. Microsoft describes it as improving performance for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless windowed mode. Turning on Auto HDR switches this on automatically, and you need to turn Auto HDR off first if you want to disable it.
Our graphics performance preference guide goes step by step through the GPU choice, and hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling explains a related option on the same page. For broader display and GPU topics, start at the Windows 11 graphics hub.
Auto HDR and HDR displays
Auto HDR takes older SDR games built on DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 and expands their colour range and brightness to HDR. It only works if you have an HDR-capable display.
- Open Settings > System > Display.
- If you have more than one monitor, select the HDR-capable one at the top.
- Turn on HDR, then expand the HDR section.
- Turn on Auto HDR.
You can also toggle HDR quickly with Win+Alt+B, which is listed on Microsoft’s keyboard shortcuts page. Games that already support HDR natively use their own HDR output instead. If HDR makes the desktop look washed out, that is usually a display calibration issue rather than a Windows bug. Our Auto HDR for gaming guide and HDR settings guide cover calibration and common problems.
DirectStorage: faster loading, with conditions
DirectStorage is a DirectX technology that lets games load assets from storage with much less CPU overhead. It is designed around fast NVMe SSDs, and a game has to be built to use it. There is no switch in Settings to turn it on.
In practice, that means two things. First, install games that support DirectStorage on an NVMe SSD rather than a hard drive or slower SATA drive if you want the benefit. Second, do not expect older games to load faster just because your PC supports it. Our DirectStorage games guide explains how to tell whether a game uses it, and DirectStorage SSD requirements covers the storage side.
Drivers, power mode and refresh rate
These three settings are boring, and they matter more than everything above.
Graphics drivers. Windows Update installs a working driver, but GPU makers release newer gaming drivers more often. Check Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates, or use your GPU maker’s app. Our graphics drivers guide explains both routes, with specific pages for NVIDIA drivers and AMD drivers.
Power mode. Open Settings > System > Power & battery (on desktop PCs without a battery the page may simply be called Power) and look for Power mode. Best performance lets the CPU and GPU run at higher clocks, at the cost of heat, fan noise and battery life. On a laptop, plug in before gaming; many gaming laptops throttle heavily on battery. Our gaming laptop optimisation guide covers the extra steps for portable machines.
Refresh rate. A 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor often ships running at 60 Hz. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and pick the highest rate under Choose a refresh rate. If the rate you expect is missing, check the cable and port; our refresh rate guide walks through that.
When games still run badly
If you have done all of the above and a game still stutters, work through it in this order:
- Check temperatures and fan noise. Thermal throttling looks exactly like a software problem.
- Lower in-game settings, especially resolution, shadows and ray tracing, to see whether you are simply GPU-limited.
- Cap your frame rate a little below your refresh rate to smooth frame pacing; see how to cap FPS.
- Close overlays and background apps you do not need while playing.
- Read our low FPS fix guide and input lag guide for deeper troubleshooting.
Avoid “gaming optimiser” utilities and registry packs that promise big FPS gains. They tend to disable security features or Windows services, and the gains rarely survive a proper test.
Related guides
- Fullscreen optimizations explained
- Windows 11 graphics hub
- Graphics drivers guide
- Low FPS fixes
- Gaming laptop optimisation
Many players also turn off mouse acceleration; see Windows 11 mouse acceleration for where the setting is.
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn Game Mode on in Windows 11?
Yes for most people. Game Mode is on by default and mainly stops Windows Update from installing drivers or showing restart notifications while you play. If one particular game stutters with it on, try turning it off as a test.
Where does Xbox Game Bar save my clips and screenshots?
By default, recordings are saved as MP4 files and screenshots as PNG files in the Captures folder inside your Videos folder.
Does Auto HDR work with every game?
No. Auto HDR is aimed at SDR games built on DirectX 11 or DirectX 12, and it needs an HDR-capable display with HDR switched on in Settings > System > Display.
Do I need an NVMe SSD for DirectStorage?
DirectStorage is designed around fast NVMe SSDs, and a game has to be built to use it. Installing a game that supports it on an NVMe drive is how you get the benefit.
Is Windows 11 good for gaming?
Yes. Windows 11 includes Game Mode, Xbox Game Bar, Auto HDR, DirectStorage support and per-app graphics settings. Most performance still comes down to your hardware, drivers and in-game settings.
Sources
Windows 11 Field Guide Editorial Team
Editorial team
The Windows 11 Field Guide team writes and updates independent Windows 11 guides and checks each step against Microsoft's documentation and the current Settings app.
