Microsoft may be adding a feature to Windows that minimizes other application needs to improve game performance. As reported by Windows Central, the “Game Mode” seen in test builds of Windows 10 lets the operating system prioritize a videogame over other running software and diverts resources as needed. Analysis suggests the mode works similarly to how the Xbox One handles the protocols for games versus other applications. How much of an improvement users can expect is unknown, or if the Game Mode feature will be available to games outside of those from the Windows Store.
I’ll take anything that gives me even a few percentage points of performance. Every little bit I get means a few extra AI enemies in many of my games like ARMA 3.
I will be flabbergasted if this turns out to be in anyway relevant these days, particularly for enthusiast gamers with even half decent rigs. Even if it does, I predict the stability cost of MS shutting down and restarting system processes en-masse and associated lock-ups and crashes to completely out-weigh any benefit anyway.
Actually, it just occurred to me that MS will roll this out as un-opt-outable ‘smart’ software that will just detect when games are running and activate regardless of whether the user wants it to - and break the entirety of PC game streaming/recording/youtube/twitch by disabling all those pesky backgound programs in the process!
