A new Windows 10 beta build has been leaked online recently and it revealed that Microsoft is developing a Windows 10 Game Mode that aims to improve the GPU and CPU performance and ultimately the PC gaming experience.
Windows 10 Game Mode
According to Ubergizmo, the leaked Windows 10 build is code named 14997. The leak also revealed that the next Microsoft major update of its operating system is going to add the blue light filter feature. The first to spot this new feature in the leaked Windows 10 beta build is the Twitter user nicknamed WalkingCat.
WalkingCat indicates that the gamemode.dll will "adjust its resource allocation logic" so that the system's CPUs and GPUs are unaffected by unnecessary background processes during the games. Anything that has the potential to affect ping times or reduce frame rates will be switched to a lower priority.
At this point in time, the feature is not completely working, but it is likely to be soon available to members of the Insider program. The Windows 10 Game Mode is going to enhance the gaming experience on PCs by improving the performance of GPUs and CPUs. This goal is achieved by minimizing the resources that apps use to virtually nothing. The gaming apps can run smoother and faster since more resources can be freed up and allocated to the game.
Up to date, Microsoft's operating system Windows hasn't had an integrated option for this. However, now it seems that the high-tech giant has finally decided to offer this feature with the next major update of the OS. Since Microsoft has already confirmed that it is going to release Windows 10 Creator's Update early next year, it's very likely to also include the Windows 10 Game Mode major update feature.
Microsoft To Leverage PCs Gaming Leadership
According to Hot Hardware, the PC is still the leader when it comes to gaming. Consoles like PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S provide good processing power for the casual gamers, but they cannot compete with the processing power available with PC systems. During 2016, PC gaming generated almost $36 billion in revenue, comparing to only $6.6 billion for console gaming.
In this perspective, it is easy to understand why Microsoft is taking steps to extend the software lead in gaming as well, while PCs have the hardware advantage compared to consoles. The high-tech company already provides features such as DirectX12, Game DVR, and Game Broadcasting and the Game Mode will be an addition to them. The Game Mode will prioritize resources so that adventure or first-person shooter titles can use every spare bit of hardware resources to improve gaming performance.
It is still unclear how this will translate to real world performance, but tech experts believe that the gaming experience will indeed be greatly improved. And, anyways, PC enthusiasts are ready to use any boost in performance they can get in their aim to gain an advantage on the competition.
The Build 14997 that contains the Windows 10 Game Mode was leaked earlier this week. This is not yet a Windows 10 official public Insider Preview release, so it is not recommended to be installed by regular users. You also need to be aware of the fact that Game Mode isn't even fully functional at this point. The best approach to this is to wait up until the beginning of the next year when Microsoft restarts its Insider Preview releases.
