Windows 11 could seriously affect gaming performance: Here's why
The virtualization-based security (VBS) function of Microsoft's Windows 11 reduces gaming performance by up to 30%, reported hardware performance benchmarking software company, UL Benchmarks. VBS also reduced the average frame rates by as much as 28%, said a PC Gamer report. Notably, Microsoft will ship PCs with Windows 11 pre-installed and deliver free upgrades to eligible Windows 10 PCs from October 5. Here's more.
'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' most affected in testing
The VBS-led frame rate drops are equivalent to "dropping down an entire tier of graphics card," reported PC Gamer. In its testing, PC Gamer found Shadow of the Tomb Raider to be affected the most, suffering a 28% drop, followed by Horizon Zero Dawn (around 25%) and Metro Exodus (24%). Meanwhile, Far Cry New Dawn was the least affected, reflecting a 5% drop.
Malicious attacks harder to achieve in Win11 due to VBS
However, the security-oriented VBS feature, when active, significantly reduces the risk of malicious attacks in Windows 11. Microsoft says VBS "uses hardware virtualization features to create and isolate a secure region of memory from the normal operating system" where programs can run more safely. Ordinary users may not face many such risks but VBS helps enterprise users protect their corporate PCs from getting compromised.
VBS isn't automatically enabled for Windows upgrades
VBS would be standard in Windows 11 PCs from OEMs like Dell, Lenovo, and HP, among others. However, it will not be enabled by default while upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, unless the PC has been running Windows 10 Enterprise, noted PC Gamer. One can see whether VBS is enabled by pressing the "Win" key, typing "MSInfo32," and checking the system report.
Power draw of processor, graphics card affected
PC Gamer further noted VBS isn't affecting the speed of the PC's hardware but is rather reducing the power draw of both the processor and graphics card. Microsoft, in an earlier post, said that VBS security benefits are so important that the company is thinking of incorporating the same in the Windows 11 minimum system requirements, which sounds ominous for the future of gaming.
