Did you know that Windows’ Game Mode can significantly boost the performance of your PC? And no, you don’t have to be a gamer to leverage the benefits of this performance-boosting tool. What many people don’t know is that you can tweak the Game Bar settings to improve the performance of other apps on the PC. Here’s more about that!

What is Windows Game Mode?

If you have no idea what we’re talking about, here’s a quick recap. The Windows Game Mode is available on Windows 10 and 11. The tool was introduced in 2017 when it was designed to boost gaming performance and make Windows devices more attractive to gaming enthusiasts.

The way it works is simple, although it might seem like advanced tech talk to some non-tech savvy users. All this tool does is gives games priority access to system resources, which results in faster performance. Naturally, if the PC does not detect any games running, it will continue allocating resources as it normally would.

This system primarily helps less capable computers provide a decent gaming experience, so if you have a brand new and super powerful PC, you likely won’t notice a change in performance.

You can also get good performance from an i5 processor if you make sure to select the right games and adjust your settings appropriately and optimal for most games.

How to Activate Windows Game Mode?

Windows 10 and 11 have the Game Mode switched on by default, so if you haven’t messed around with these settings before, the feature will likely be enabled on your device.

You can find this setting by selecting Gaming in the settings window and opening the Game Mode section. Hit the toggle under Game Mode to enable or disable the feature.

How to Use Windows Game Mode to Boost Other Apps?

Now, what everyone wants to know is how you can boost the performance of other apps by using this gaming feature. Yes, it’s possible to do this, although the actual boost in performance will depend on each app (the results will likely vary between apps). If you want to test it out, here’s how.

Run the app you want to boost and then open the Windows Game Bar from the main app menu. You can also press the Windows Key + G as a shortcut. A Game Bar widget will pop up – click on the settings button at the top.

From there, look for an option that says Remember This Is a Game. Check the box next to that option, and Windows will automatically recognize the app as a game and thus boost its performance every time you launch it.

If you want to stop the system from allocating more resources to specific apps, just go back to the same settings window and uncheck the box next to the option Remember This Is a Game.

Pretty simple, huh?

Improve Windows Security

While you’re taking the time to improve app performance within your Windows device, why not spend a couple of minutes optimizing the security features? While Microsoft is continuously working on improving the security of their Windows operating systems, hackers are always going to find holes in the wall that can be exploited to their advantage.

Luckily, you don’t have to sit and wait for a malicious link or program to take down your computer and wipe all of your data. You can take action to prevent these incidents by installing antivirus software and running regular checks on the device.

On top of having a powerful antivirus program active at all times, you should set up a VPN connection to add an extra layer of security to your device. All you have to do is run the VPN or virtual private network before connecting to the internet, and all your data will be encrypted through a secured server.