After a long round of testing, Windows 11 was finally released on October 5th and it's currently rolling out to millions of computers around the world. It's the first significant Windows version bump in 6 years, and it has been just as controversial as it has been spectacular. The gamer crowd, in particular, is one that Microsoft wants to appeal to with Windows 11 as well. But while some gamers are definitely looking forward to their update, others might be on the fence or not entirely convinced. And understandably so—no one wants to mess up their gaming rig.
So, is Windows 11 good for gaming? Is it an OS that gamers should be looking forward to?
Microsoft Says, Yes, Windows 11 Is a Great Gaming OS...
With Windows 11, Microsoft is making an open invitation to gamers to upgrade, even going so far as to say that "if you're a gamer, Windows 11 was made for you" and calling Windows 11 the "best Windows for gaming" ever. And indeed, there's a handful of features that gamers should be considering as they ponder whether to update from Windows 10 to Windows 11—some of them small, while others might be game-changers.
There's a couple of gaming-related features to look forward to, which are borrowed from Microsoft's latest game consoles, the Xbox Series S/X. The first is DirectStorage. DirectStorage takes advantage of fast NVMe SSDs to greatly reduce load times and improve texture loading while considerably reducing CPU load for those tasks. While DirectStorage is landing on Windows 10 too, and it's now not essential to use Windows 11 to enjoy it, the upgraded storage stack in Windows 11 allows DirectStorage to perform to its most significant potential.
There's also Auto-HDR, which uses machine learning and AI to bring an HDR mode to any game, no matter if it supports HDR or not. Of course, in order to take advantage of it, you'll need an HDR-compatible monitor. Windows 11 is also deeply integrated with the Xbox app, meaning that users will be able to enjoy Xbox Game Pass titles on your PC if you have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, as well as access to Xbox Cloud Gaming to play their favorite Xbox titles (that are not available in PC).
If you want to know more about each of these new features and why they're essential, be sure to check out our guide on the best Windows 11 gaming features. Clearly, Microsoft is touting Windows 11 as the next big thing for gamers.
...but It's Not Perfect Right Now, Though
While Windows 11 comes with features that will greatly enhance the game experience on PCs, both high and low-end, there are some initial issues and things you should be aware of before going in. And there are also some things that are being reported as problems but have been blown way out of proportion by some media outlets, which we're also going to address in this section.
Firstly, let's talk about the biggest issue currently affecting gamers on Windows 11, particularly AMD Ryzen users, right now. We previously covered this issue in our piece on Windows 11's performance issues on AMD processors, but the gist of it is that L3 cache latencies are greatly increased compared to Windows 10. This latency can result in a performance dip in games that ranges from 3-5% to up to 15% in certain eSports titles.
There are also some issues affecting AMD's "preferred core" feature, which can also be a source for a performance penalty. Microsoft is working hard to fix the issue by the end of October, but right now, The Verge reports that the situation might get worse before it gets better.
VBS is also reported to be a cause for a considerable performance penalty for Windows 11 users. If you're buying an off-the-shelf or pre-built computer running Windows 11, Microsoft is enabling Virtualization-Based Security, or VBS, by default as an additional security layer for your new PC. It was released with Windows 10, and it uses hardware and software virtualization to improve your system's security. In layman's terms, it essentially establishes an isolated subsystem that aids in preventing viruses from wreaking havoc on your computer.
But having VBS enabled can reportedly severely harm the gaming performance of your PC by as much as 28% in some scenarios, which, if true, is...pretty bad. Further research into this issue, though, gives conflicting information on whether VBS actually has a notably negative impact on your framerates or not.
While sites like PC Gamer have reported that they're seeing considerable performance drops with VBS enabled, other sources like YouTuber ThioJoe have also done research indicating the performance impact is actually negligible in most real-world scenarios, and definitely nothing near 28%.
Should I Get Windows 11 if I'm a Gamer?
The short answer to that question is "yes," but maybe not right now. After all, there are many things to look forward to in Windows 11 for the gamer crowd, as we said before.
DirectStorage has the potential to revolutionize the way our games currently load, and Auto-HDR can make our games look stunning even if they're not HDR-compatible in the first place. And while most people probably use a third-party game marketplace like Steam, integration with the Xbox ecosystem and access to Game Pass Ultimate are both excellent perks to have, even if you're not an existing Xbox consumer.
On the other hand, it's a very new operating system, and it's always good practice to wait until Microsoft squashes all the bugs before jumping into the update. In fact, we've already run down some issues you might run into if you pull the trigger on the Windows 11 update right now that could negatively affect your performance and framerates in games.
That's also partly why Microsoft is offering the free upgrade to Windows 11 in stages, as the company wants to ensure all immediately noticeable bugs and issues are squashed before the new operating system is rolled out to everyone.
It's Better to Wait for Now
We've now laid down some of the pros and cons of getting your hands on the Windows 11 update if you're a gamer. Windows 11 packs several improvements for games, but right now, it's a little bit rough around the edges. If you do decide to update now, though, most games will function perfectly fine.