There are many factors that affect a PC’s gaming performance. Most people think of the built-in hardware first. But there is also a certain amount of leeway on the software side to increase performance.
Microsoft has now personally revealed what options there are under Windows 11. The whole thing has a small catch, however. In order to get the full potential out of your gaming PC, you have to disable certain security features of the operating system. A certain risk cannot be dismissed out of hand. If you want to exchange security for performance, you will find the explanation in the following paragraph.
Disable security features
Virtualization in Windows 11 is used by Microsoft for scenarios such as Hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), also known as memory integrity, and the Virtual Machine Platform (VMP). While VMP provides core virtual machine services for Windows, memory integrity prevents attackers from injecting their own malicious code and ensures that all drivers loaded into the operating system are signed and trusted.
By default, the two security features are enabled on all Windows 11 devices. However, ongoing tests have shown that they can lead to performance losses in gaming. “Gamers who value performance have the option to disable these features during gameplay,” Microsoft said in a statement.
To turn off memory integrity, open the start menu and type the word “core isolation” in the search box. The corresponding settings open with one click. Simply switch the controller from “On” to “Off”.
To disable the VM platform, the settings called “Turn Windows features on or off” need to be accessed. Scroll down the list, look for the “VM platform” item and uncheck it there.
The system must be restarted for the changes to take effect. Windows recommends disabling features solely for gaming and then re-enabling them. Even then, the system must be restarted. Everyone can decide for themselves whether the workaround in this form really makes sense.
