Upcoming Windows 10 Build to Feature a "Game Mode"

[btarunr]

An upcoming build of Windows 10 operating system, build 14997, reportedly features a component ominously named "gamemode.dll." This sparked off speculation of the operating system featuring a special runlevel that's optimized for PC gaming. It's likely that in game mode, the operating system prioritizes CPU, memory, and GPU allocation to games being run, and sheds unwanted processes to free up memory.

Sources tell "Windows Central" that the game mode could allocate hardware resources to a game with the efficiency of an Xbox One console, which means only the bare minimum services needed to correctly play the game will be enabled. At this point it's unclear if the Game Mode will benefit only games built on the UWP, or even the vast Win32 ecosystem of games distributed by Steam, Origin, and UPlay.



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[Prima.Vera]

Prepare for BSODs tsunamis! )

 

[Frick]

I doubt it will turn the PC into an Xbox. That would be pretty amazing, but unlikely.

 

[Parn]

If this were true, there would be even less number of reasons to upgrade your hardware. By taking out the background bloatware, even a 7 years old 1st gen Core CPU would be adequate for most games.

 

[Jack1n]

I extremely doubt this will benefit anyone using a mid-range PC or higher.

 

[Recon-UK]

If this were true, there would be even less number of reasons to upgrade your hardware. By taking out the background bloatware, even a 7 years old 1st gen Core CPU would be adequate for most games.

First gen still are more than adequate lol...

 

[bug]

I extremely doubt this will benefit anyone using a mid-range PC or higher.

Well, it could help in cutting down unwanted popup messages and such.
Regardless, target UWP exclusively would be pretty dumb at this point. UWP doesn't have traction and probably never will.

Edit: Shortly after posting this, I almost got killed in Rebel Galaxy because while firing Flaks (shift key), the screen started to flicker because Windows decided it was time to ask me whether I want to enable Sticky Keys...

 

[Parn]

First gen still are more than adequate lol...

I thought that was the case and was going to say 10 years old Core 2. I still have a C2Q Q9650 going strong in one of my backup boxes. If it wasn't for the new storage connectivity and more PCIe lanes from the newer chipsets, that would have been adequate for most of the stuff I do.

 

[RejZoR]

If they had Xbox games ecosystem on PC, that would certainly kickstart their Windows Store. Which, as a PC user would never consider even if you threaten me with a gun. But if it had the simplicity of a console paired with PC I already have, it is possible I'd buy a game. Maybe I'd even invest in a controller. Besides, I can't have a console, I have a high end 4K TV which has amazing image, but unfortunately also has high input latency which makes console usage painful. And I don't like gamepads anyway. You can only play racing games enjoyably, shooters were a dreadful and clumsy experience compared to keyboard+mouse.

 

[Dammeron]

Instead of such crippled solutions, why not just make the whole OS being less of a burden on our hardware?

 

[EntropyZ]

First gen still are more than adequate lol...

For my i5 2400, it is already messed up by for post 2015 AAA titles, because console ports coming to PC suck balls. Hyper-Threaded cores would only delay the inevitable. And best Intel offerings are only 40-50% better than what I got, and they cost 4-6x more.

Instead of such crippled solutions, why not just make the whole OS being less of a burden on our hardware?

Hurry up Linux and give us better game support. The Windows platform is bloated and restrictive, old hardware that still survives to this day becomes obsolete for me way quicker than it should.

We have such powerful hardware around nowadays and it is really underused. Because we totally need abstraction layers, stopgaps, DRM and all that good ****.

 

[64K]

Hate to be a pessimist but I suspect this will only be for games purchased through the Windows Store which for me is a grand total of zero. I might eventually buy a game from them here and there but with MS heavy handed treatment (like disabling mods) and their tendency to crap on PC gamers I won't spend much $$$ in their store.

 

[Bjørgersson]

If they had Xbox games ecosystem on PC, that would certainly kickstart their Windows Store. Which, as a PC user would never consider even if you threaten me with a gun. But if it had the simplicity of a console paired with PC I already have, it is possible I'd buy a game. Maybe I'd even invest in a controller. Besides, I can't have a console, I have a high end 4K TV which has amazing image, but unfortunately also has high input latency which makes console usage painful. And I don't like gamepads anyway. You can only play racing games enjoyably, shooters were a dreadful and clumsy experience compared to keyboard+mouse.

In the last couple of years I've been playing everything with an Xbox controller, but FPSs, and I'm loving it. I would hate it so much, if I had to go back playing like any TPS game with keyboard and mouse.

 

[bug]

Instead of such crippled solutions, why not just make the whole OS being less of a burden on our hardware?

Because Windows is a general purpose OS and when gaming, anything not gaming-related can be considered bloat.

 

[birdie]

This is 100% BS unless you're gaming and transcoding video to x264/x265 simultaneously which no sane person will ever do.

It might have a modicum of sense in the era of single core CPUs but it's long gone.

 

[Recon-UK]

For my i5 2400, it is already messed up by for post 2015 AAA titles, because console ports coming to PC suck balls. Hyper-Threaded cores would only delay the inevitable. And best Intel offerings are only 40-50% better than what I got, and they cost 4-6x more.


Hurry up Linux and give us better game support. The Windows platform is bloated and restrictive, old hardware that still survives to this day becomes obsolete for me way quicker than it should.

We have such powerful hardware around nowadays and it is really underused. Because we totally need abstraction layers, stopgaps, DRM and all that good ****.

The 2400 can't compete with a 4ghz+ Nehalem / Westmere.

 

[EntropyZ]

The 2400 can't compete with a 4ghz+ Nehalem / Westmere.

In benchmarks? What happens when you pair them with a high-end GPU and run a new game then? Then again you're running a Xeon, which I wouldn't even dream of running simply because they're not very cost effective for me, and you can't get them in my country.

Even if at least two of the cores of the i5-2400 are OC'ed to 3.9GHz (No BCLK)? That does well up until the point I try a game that doesn't benefit from OC'ing any further. The CPU could get past 4GHz but only on one core would that clock speed stick.

 

[Basard]

LOL... let me guess... the ONLY thing that runs during game mode is Windows Update....?

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

In benchmarks? What happens when you pair them with a high-end GPU and run a new game then?

Even if at least two of the cores of the i5-2400 are OC'ed to 3.9GHz (No BCLK)? That does well up until the point I try a game that doesn't benefit from OC'ing any further.

Your issue there would be running two cores in modern games, which is a no go.

My 4.2 GHz i5 (ivy bridge) never goes above 60-70% load, even with stuff running in the background while playing GTA online, which is rather CPU heavy. running GTA only it hits about 50-55% usage.

BF1 is no challenge.
Deux Ex is no challenge
and so on.

Also, nehalem can still run modern games. I've seen them driving 1080 SLI setups, and chugging along quite nicely.

 

[EntropyZ]

Your issue there would be running two cores in modern games, which is a no go.

My 4.2 GHz i5 (ivy bridge) never goes above 60-70% load, even with stuff running in the background while playing GTA online, which is rather CPU heavy. running GTA only it hits about 50-55% usage.

BF1 is no challenge.
Deux Ex is no challenge
and so on.

Also, nehalem can still run modern games. I've seen them driving 1080 SLI setups, and chugging along quite nicely.

The CPU is still running all of it's cores, just that when it is OC'ed only two of them get the desired clock speed, the other two step down by 100 and 200MHz respectively. On Dying Light I would hit 75% usage and no more than that. GTA just milks the CPU for all its got and running at 80-90%. If I had used anything higher than a GTX 970/R9 390 I would start seeing bottlenecks left and right.

The system did well enough for only 110 euros spent in total for MB and CPU, but I'm glad I sold it, if Zen doesn't do anything to impress me, I'll just get a 3570K and call it a day.

I guess the unlocked nature of CPU's really helps their longevity, more than I imagined. I'm never buying a locked CPU for myself again, ever, the mild overclocks only gets them so far. Just shows how Intel aren't even trying with their new generations.

OT: Microsoft will find a way to f*** this up as well, or it will be exclusive to Windows store apps, just to try convince Steam users to switch, which just simply won't happen with the state of things surrounding UWP and Windows Store. Microsoft never tells anyone what they remove (anyone remember DX9 4GB VRAM limit they put on Win 10? I 'member), all I see is more PR from them than anything that's actually good for the average gamer.

Makes me wish I was a programmer so I could go help Linux with their DirectX wrappers, just to pi** off MS. Well we have Vulkan, but only a single digit amount of games support that. So...

 

[Shihab]

This is 100% BS unless you're gaming and transcoding video to x264/x265 simultaneously which no sane person will ever do.

Don't all streamers and youtubers do that? Not software coding on CPU usually, granted, but still...
Not saying that this mode wouldn't be pointless though...

 

[Recon-UK]

In benchmarks? What happens when you pair them with a high-end GPU and run a new game then? Then again you're running a Xeon, which I wouldn't even dream of running simply because they're not very cost effective for me, and you can't get them in my country.

Even if at least two of the cores of the i5-2400 are OC'ed to 3.9GHz (No BCLK)? That does well up until the point I try a game that doesn't benefit from OC'ing any further. The CPU could get past 4GHz but only on one core would that clock speed stick.

Completely GPU limited but running almost maxed out.

 

[EntropyZ]

Completely GPU limited but running almost maxed out.

I am impressed that thing is going that far even now, especially at a poorly optimized game from Bethesda Game Studios. Respect.

The i5-2400 barely reaches 70% usage on Fallout 4 and the R9 380 4GB (DX11 titles isn't AMD's strong point, well until now) is always maxed out. Same with Skyrim (non-special edition) 65% CPU usage and GPU is always maxed. And those results are from 900p, oh and stutters all around in cities dipping to 30fps which is just horrible and unplayable on Ultra minus the Nvidia Gameworks stuff enabled.

 

[Dammeron]

Because Windows is a general purpose OS and when gaming, anything not gaming-related can be considered bloat.

I'm talking about all that sh*t You could throw out from the installation without loosing any functionality. Remember nLite? WinXp went on a diet from an 500MB to 200MB on iso file.

 

[Ruru]

I hope it can be disabled as easy as Xbox app's DVR crap.