Windows 11 includes an optimization for compatible DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless mode. Test it on an eligible game, restart that game, and compare the same scene. It is not a universal FPS switch for every title or graphics API.
Sources checked October 3, 2026. Availability, offers and software interfaces can change.
In this guide
- What Microsoft says the option does
- Confirm that your test matches the feature
- Create a repeatable comparison
- Use a per-game decision
- Separate Auto HDR from the performance test
- Avoid unsupported performance claims
- What should you keep after the test?
What Microsoft says the option does
Microsoft explains that the feature changes compatible games from an older presentation model to a newer flip model, reducing frame latency and enabling supported features such as Auto HDR and variable refresh rate. You can find it under Settings, System, Display, Graphics. A game restart is required. Microsoft also documents per-app overrides and the relationship with Auto HDR in its windowed-game optimization guide.
Confirm that your test matches the feature
Record the game, its selected graphics API if it exposes one, and whether it is windowed or borderless. Do not assume that a similarly named in-game setting controls the same Windows feature.
If the title does not tell you which API it uses, consult its official support documentation. Guessing the API and then publishing a conclusion about compatibility is less useful than acknowledging that the test conditions are not yet clear.
Create a repeatable comparison
Choose a short section you can revisit, such as a practice area or a saved location. Keep resolution, graphics preset, frame cap, and background applications unchanged. Restart the game after adjusting the Windows option.
Compare responsiveness and visible consistency, not only a peak frame counter. Write down the conditions alongside the result. A setting that appears different in an empty menu may not answer your question about gameplay.
Use a per-game decision
If the change causes an unwanted result in one title, review its app-specific graphics options instead of assuming every game must use the same global preference. Microsoft documents an override for individual apps. Restore the previous state when the comparison does not help.
Keep the decision small: one game, one setting, one documented outcome. That makes the setup easier to revisit after a later game or Windows update.
Separate Auto HDR from the performance test
Microsoft notes that enabling Auto HDR also enables windowed-game optimizations, and turning the optimization off may first require turning Auto HDR off. Check those controls before deciding that your selected value did not save.
A change in brightness or color is not itself evidence of a frame-rate improvement. If your real problem is washed-out HDR, investigate the display and HDR settings separately. Combining the two questions can make a useful performance comparison impossible to interpret.
Avoid unsupported performance claims
There is no single gain to promise for every PC. Hardware, game behavior, display support, and the chosen mode affect what you can observe. Treat a tutorial claiming a guaranteed percentage improvement as a claim requiring evidence for your specific setup.
Do not install a registry pack or an unknown optimization program to access a setting already exposed by Windows. The normal interface provides a clearer way to change it and return to the previous state.
What should you keep after the test?
Keep the configuration that works reliably for your game and display, together with a note of what you compared. If neither setting resolves the original problem, return to diagnosing that symptom instead of adding more unrelated tweaks. A controlled negative result still narrows the investigation.
