Microsoft Developing Dedicated Game Mode For Windows 10 To Boost GPU And CPU Performance

While PCs far and away have the hardware advantage compared to consoles, Microsoft is taking steps to extend the software lead as well. In addition to features like Game Broadcasting, Game DVR and of course DirectX12, Microsoft is reportedly developing a new “Game Mode” which will prioritize resources so that your favorite first-person shooter or adventure title gets every spare bit of hardware resources to improve performance.

Twitter user WalkingCat first discovered gamemode.dll, and indicates that it will “adjust its resource allocation logic” so that your processors and graphics cards are unfettered by unnecessary background processors when you’re attempting to snipe newbs from a clock tower. In other words, anything that has the potential to hamper your frame rates or tank your ping times will be switched to a much lower priority.

.@h0x0d looks like Windows will adjust its resource allocation logic (for CPU/Gfx etc.) to prioritize the "Game" when running in "Game Mode"

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) December 28, 2016

How this will translate to real world performance remains to be seen, but we have the feeling that PC enthusiasts will take any boost they can get if it means that they gain a leg up on the competition.

Windows 10 Game Mode was found lurking in Build 14997, which was leaked earlier this week. This is not an official public Insider Preview release of Windows 10, so we’d suggest that even the most ardent enthusiasts stay away from it. It should also be pointed out that Game Mode isn’t even fully functional at this point, so you might want to wait until Microsoft restarts its Insider Preview releases at the beginning of the year.