What Is Windows Game Mode? ── What Changes When You Turn It On, and Does It Affect Anything Besides Games?

When you open Windows Settings, you will find a switch called Game Mode under “Gaming.” It is the kind of setting that makes you wonder whether turning it on makes things faster, and whether it affects anything when you are not playing.

Here is the answer up front. Game Mode is a feature that, only while a game is running, stops Windows Update from installing drivers and sending restart notifications, and gives the game priority for resources. It is on by default. It does not raise the PC’s performance itself, so how much it helps depends on the game and on how much is running in the background. Unless you have a particular reason, you can leave it on.

This article is for general users of Windows 11. It is based on Microsoft documentation checked on November 3, 2026. The location of the setting and its default were checked on a virtual machine running Windows 11 Enterprise Evaluation (26H2). That Windows+G opens Game Bar was also checked on a physical PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2). The screen flashing twice in a full-screen game, and the effect when running a game, were not checked.

What Game Mode Does

Microsoft’s support article says that when you use Game Mode, Windows prioritizes your gaming experience by turning things off in the background. It then lists two things Game Mode does while you are running a game.¹

• Prevents Windows Update from performing driver installations and sending restart notifications
• Helps achieve a more stable frame rate, depending on the specific game and system

A Microsoft Learn training module on gaming describes the same mechanism. Windows does a lot of work in the background even while you are using it. For example, Windows Update may download data in advance that it needs to keep the PC up to date. That kind of work and notifications can cause brief interruptions when you are focused on a game. Game Mode temporarily shifts the resources assigned to that work to the game, and stops the notifications.²

flowchart TB
        accTitle: What Game Mode does while a game is running
        accDescr: Shows that running a game activates Game Mode, which stops driver installs and restart notifications from Windows Update and shifts resources from background work to the game.
        G["Run a game"] --> M["Game Mode activates"]
        M --> D["Stops driver installs"]
        M --> R["Stops restart notifications"]
        M --> P["Shifts background resources to the game"]
        P --> F["Aims for a steadier frame rate"]

Figure 1: While a game is running, Game Mode holds back updates and notifications and moves resources toward the game.

Game Mode is on by default.¹ Even if you do not remember turning it on, it is normal for the switch to be on.

In the diagram a solid line marks a relation that always holds and a dashed line marks a conditional one (the conditions are given per relation on the detail page). The full list of relations (5 in total, with evidence and certainty) and the definitions of the main concepts are collected on the knowledge map detail page (in Japanese). Data: JSON-LD / Turtle

Whether It Speeds Things Up Depends on What Is Running in the Background

Turning on Game Mode does not raise the frame rate on every PC. Microsoft describes “a more stable frame rate,” and even that comes with the condition “depending on the specific game and system.”¹

What Game Mode does is redistribute resources. A developer document published for Windows 10 explains the mechanism as giving the game exclusive or prioritized access to hardware resources. It also says that the performance gain from Game Mode is directly related to the number and intensity of other processes running on the PC at the same time.³

In other words, the more heavy work a PC has running in the background, the more resources there are to give to the game, and the more likely a difference appears. Conversely, on a PC with almost nothing running besides the game, there are few resources to give to the game in the first place, so the difference may be barely noticeable. The same document describes Game Mode as improving the gaming experience by making full use of the capabilities of the hardware you already have.³ It does not add GPU or CPU processing power.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: PCs where Game Mode helps more and less
        accDescr: Shows that a PC with a lot of heavy background work has more resources to give the game, so the difference is easier to see, while a PC with little background work has fewer resources to give, so the difference is small.
        A["Turn on Game Mode"] --> B{"Background work"}
        B -->|"A lot / heavy"| C["More resources to give the game"]
        B -->|"Little"| D["Fewer resources to give the game"]
        C --> E["Difference is easier to see"]
        D --> F["Difference is small"]

Figure 2: How much Game Mode helps depends on how many resources can be moved from other work to the game.

It fits Microsoft’s description better to think of it as a feature that reduces moments when the game freezes for an instant because of update work or notifications, rather than one that “raises average FPS.”

Effects on Apps Other Than Games

Game Mode works while you are running a game. Every Microsoft description of it is written as behavior “when you’re running a game.”¹ Windows turns Game Mode on and off automatically for most games, and users can also switch it by hand.²

The developer document says that Game Mode is enabled by default for many games on Windows, and that neither users nor game developers have to do anything special. It also says that dedicated resources are assigned to the game while that app is in the foreground and has focus.³ This document describes an API from the Windows 10 era, and the API itself has been deprecated since Windows 10, version 1809. We cannot say for certain that the detailed behavior in current Windows 11 is the same, so read it as a clue to the underlying idea.

When You Are Not Running a Game

As described, work you do while no game is running is not what Game Mode targets. Microsoft’s documentation says nothing about anything changing depending on whether the Game Mode switch is on or off while you are only using a spreadsheet, a word processor or a browser.

When You Are Running a Game

While a game is running, other work running at the same time may be pushed back because the game gets priority. This is because Game Mode moves resources that were going to other work to the game.² Examples include recording or streaming the game, downloading a large file, or a conversion job running in the background.

Also, while a game is running, driver installs and restart notifications from Windows Update are stopped.¹ If you are waiting for an update while playing, keeping this in mind will save you some confusion.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Game Mode while a game is and is not running
        accDescr: Shows that when no game is running, it is outside Game Mode's scope, and that while a game is running, the game gets priority, other work running at the same time such as recording or downloads may be pushed back, and driver installs and restart notifications stop.
        S{"Is a game running?"} -->|"No"| N["Outside Game Mode's scope"]
        S -->|"Yes"| Y["The game gets priority"]
        Y --> B["Recording and downloads may be pushed back"]
        Y --> U["Driver installs and restart notifications stop"]

Figure 3: Game Mode has an effect only while a game is running.

Whether Windows Recognizes the App as a Game

For most games, Windows turns Game Mode on and off automatically.² Normally, users do not need to think about it.

When Game Bar shortcuts do not work in a full-screen game, Microsoft advises pressing the Windows logo key + G. If the screen flashes twice, that confirms the game is recognized. When using gaming features such as broadcasting or capturing, Microsoft advises selecting “Enable gaming features for this app to record gameplay” in Game Bar.⁴ These instructions, however, are about Game Bar recording and shortcuts. The documentation we checked does not say that these steps decide what Game Mode applies to.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: What to check when Game Bar shortcuts do not work in a full-screen game
        accDescr: Shows that when Game Bar shortcuts do not work in a full-screen game, you press the Windows key and G, and if the screen flashes twice the game has been recognized, after which you return to full screen and use the shortcuts.
        A["Shortcuts do not work in a full-screen game"] --> B["Press Windows key + G"]
        B --> C{"Did the screen flash twice?"}
        C -->|"Yes"| D["Recognized as a game"]
        D --> E["Return to full screen and use the shortcuts"]

Figure 4: When Game Bar shortcuts do not work, use Windows key + G to check whether the app is recognized as a game.

How to Turn Game Mode On or Off

You switch Game Mode in Windows Settings.¹ Before switching, note whether it is currently on or off so that you know how to put it back later.

1. Press the Start button, type “Settings” in the search box, and open Settings.
2. Choose Gaming → Game Mode.
3. Turn the Game Mode switch on or off.

The same “Gaming” page also has a Game Bar item. Game Bar is a feature that brings recording, volume, performance readouts and more together on top of the game screen, and you open it with Windows key + G. Game Bar shortcuts and recording settings are changed under “Settings → Gaming → Game Bar.”^{5 4} Game Bar and Game Mode are separate items on the same page.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Where the Game Mode, Game Bar and HAGS settings are
        accDescr: Shows that Game Mode and Game Bar are under Gaming in Windows Settings, and that HAGS is under Graphics in Display under System.
        S["Settings"] --> G["Gaming"]
        S --> SY["System"]
        G --> GM["Game Mode"]
        G --> GB["Game Bar"]
        SY --> D["Display"]
        D --> GR["Graphics (HAGS)"]

Figure 5: Game Mode and Game Bar are under “Gaming,” and HAGS is under “System → Display → Graphics.”

How It Differs from Similarly Named Settings

There are several other settings that seem related to games or PC speed. The names may be similar, but each one changes something different.

HAGS is not a setting for whether the GPU is used; it switches how the work sent to the GPU is managed. It is explained in detail in “What Is Windows’ Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling?” Game Mode and HAGS are separate settings, so changing one does not change the other.

Power mode is a setting for choosing whether battery life or performance takes priority.⁶ The differences are explained in “What Changes with the Windows Power Mode?” The Microsoft documentation checked for this article does not say that Game Mode switches the power mode. If games run slowly on a laptop, check the power mode and whether it is plugged in, separately from Game Mode.

Efficiency mode is a feature for making a specific app’s processing more restrained from Task Manager. It is explained in “What Is Windows Efficiency Mode?” The “hardware acceleration” in browsers and Teams is a per-app setting. It is explained in “Should Hardware Acceleration Be On or Off?”

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Four settings related to game and PC speed
        accDescr: Shows that Game Mode deals with background work while a game is running, HAGS with how GPU work is managed, power mode with prioritizing battery life or performance, and efficiency mode with a specific app's processing, and that each is a separate setting.
        Q["Settings related to speed"] --> GM["Game Mode"]
        Q --> H["HAGS"]
        Q --> PM["Power mode"]
        Q --> E["Efficiency mode"]
        GM --> GM2["Background work during games"]
        H --> H2["How GPU work is managed"]
        PM --> PM2["Battery vs. performance priority"]
        E --> E2["A specific app's processing"]

Figure 6: The names may be similar, but each of the four settings deals with something different.

How to Think About It If You Are Unsure Whether to Turn It Off

If nothing in particular is bothering you, you can leave Game Mode on, which is the default. As Microsoft describes, it makes games less likely to be interrupted by updates and notifications while they are running.

Cases where you might consider turning it off include:

• You want background work such as recording, streaming or downloads to keep running just as much while a game is running
• A game is not running well, and you want to check whether Game Mode is involved

If you turn it off, driver installs and restart notifications from Windows Update are no longer stopped while a game is running.¹

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Deciding whether to turn off Game Mode
        accDescr: Shows that if nothing is wrong you leave it on, and if you want background work to keep running during games or want to check the cause of a problem, you switch only Game Mode and compare the same scene before deciding.
        A{"Is anything bothering you?"} -->|"No"| K["Leave it on"]
        A -->|"Yes"| B{"What is the problem?"}
        B -->|"Want background work to run too"| C["Turn it off and compare"]
        B -->|"The game is not running well"| D["Switch only Game Mode and compare"]
        C --> E["Look at the results in the same scene"]
        D --> E
        E --> F["Keep whichever was better"]

Figure 7: If you are unsure, switch only Game Mode and compare the same scene.

When Comparing, Change Only Game Mode

When checking whether Game Mode is involved, switch only Game Mode and leave other settings unchanged. If you also change HAGS, the power mode or the in-game graphics settings at the same time, you cannot tell which change made the difference.

When comparing, run the same scene of the same game for about the same length of time. Look not only at average FPS but also at whether there is stutter where the screen freezes for an instant. Stutter shows up as variation in the time each frame takes (frame time). Because Game Mode is described as giving “a more stable frame rate,” stutter is mainly what you should look at. Game Bar’s performance widget shows FPS on screen and lets you see how the CPU, GPU and memory are being used.² Comparing with frame time is also explained in the HAGS article, in “If You Compare, Change One Thing at a Time.”

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Steps for comparing the effect of Game Mode
        accDescr: Shows that you note the current setting, switch only Game Mode, run the same scene for the same time, look at average FPS and stutter, and also compare with the setting switched back.
        A["Note the current setting"] --> B["Switch only Game Mode"]
        B --> C["Run the same scene for the same time"]
        C --> D["Look at average FPS and stutter"]
        D --> E["Switch it back and compare the same way"]

Figure 8: Change only Game Mode, and compare with the setting switched back as well.

Summary

• Game Mode is a feature that, while a game is running, stops driver installs and restart notifications from Windows Update and moves resources that were going to background work to the game. It is on by default.
• It does not raise the PC’s performance. How much it helps depends on how much is running in the background.
• It works while you are running a game. While a game is running, other work running at the same time, such as recording or downloads, may be pushed back.
• It is a separate setting from HAGS, power mode and efficiency mode.
• If you are unsure, switch only Game Mode and compare the stutter in the same scene before deciding.

Related Articles

• What Is Windows’ Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling? — Does Turning It On Make Your PC Faster?
• What Is Windows Efficiency Mode? - The Green Leaf Icon and How to Turn It Off
• What Changes with the Windows Power Mode?
• Should Hardware Acceleration Be On or Off?
• What Are “Dedicated GPU Memory” and “Shared GPU Memory” in Task Manager?

References

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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions commonly asked at the time of consultation about the topic of this article.

Should Windows Game Mode be on or off?

Unless you have a particular reason, leaving it on, which is the default, is fine. Game Mode stops Windows Update from installing drivers and sending restart notifications only while a game is running, and gives the game priority for resources. If something seems wrong, switch only Game Mode and compare the stutter in the same scene before deciding.

Does turning on Game Mode raise FPS?

Not necessarily. Microsoft describes it as helping achieve "a more stable frame rate," and the effect depends on the game and the system. Game Mode shifts resources that were going to other work toward the game. On a PC with little running in the background, the difference may be barely noticeable.

Does Game Mode affect apps other than games?

Game Mode works while you are running a game. Windows turns Game Mode on and off automatically for most games. While a game is running, however, other work you run at the same time, such as recording, streaming or downloads, may be pushed back because the game gets priority.

Are Game Mode and GPU scheduling (HAGS) the same thing?

They are separate settings. Game Mode is under "Settings → Gaming" and holds back background work while a game is running. HAGS is under "Settings → System → Display → Graphics" and switches how the work sent to the GPU is managed. Changing one does not change the other.

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Go Komura

Representative of KomuraSoft LLC

Focused on Windows software development, technical consulting, and bug investigation, with particular strength in projects where existing assets remain and in investigating failures whose cause is hard to see.