There is no single best settings preset for every Game Pass game or every PC. For a game installed and running locally on Windows 11, the practical approach is to check a short list of Windows switches first, then adjust the game’s own options based on what is actually limiting frame rate. Windows can help with scheduling, presentation, GPU selection and visual features, but it cannot fix every hardware bottleneck or a game-specific problem. The Windows paths below are the Windows 11 labels from Microsoft’s documentation, and menu names can differ on other versions or on updated builds.
Start with the Windows 11 checks
Microsoft’s Windows 11 gaming guidance states that “Windows 11 does most of the optimization for you, but there are a few Settings you might want to double check to ensure you’re getting the best gaming performance from your system.” Those few settings are Game Mode, the Graphics page under Display, the per-app GPU preference on multi-GPU systems, and the optional visual and storage features. Check them in the order below, changing one at a time.
Windows settings worth checking
| Setting | Where to find it (Windows 11) | Applies to | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Settings > Gaming > Game Mode | Games in general | Microsoft says it should be enabled by default. Verify it rather than assume it. |
| Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling | Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings | Systems whose GPU and driver support it | Microsoft lists it as an available setting, but the guidance gives no universal frame-rate gain. |
| Optimizations for windowed games | Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default settings (Microsoft Support label); the Windows 11 gaming page uses “Change default graphics settings” | DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games in windowed or borderless windowed mode | Restart the game after changing it. Can be turned off for a selected app. |
| Graphics preference per app | Settings > System > Display > Graphics, then select the game | PCs with more than one GPU | Options are Let Windows decide, Power saving and High performance. Restart the game after changing it. |
| Auto HDR | Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings | Supported SDR games on an HDR display | A visual enhancement, not a frame-rate setting. |
| Auto SR (Automatic Super Resolution) | Auto SR tab in the Xbox Game Bar Display widget, or the per-game Maximum display resolution selector in Windows | Supported device, game and resolution; Microsoft says it generally enhances games rendering below 1080p | Opt-in. Does not currently support HDR content. Results vary by game, settings and system, and UI or text quality can suffer in some cases. |
| DirectStorage | Automatic when the PC and game are compatible | Games that use it | Improves load times. Requires an NVMe SSD using the Standard NVM Express Controller driver and a DirectX 12 GPU with Shader Model 6.0 support. Not a universal FPS setting. |
1. Game Mode
Open Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and confirm it is on. Microsoft’s guidance says it should be on by default, so this is a check, not a major change. If it is already on, leave it alone and move to the next item.
2. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling
This option is in Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings. If it is missing, your GPU or driver does not expose it. Microsoft’s guidance does not establish a universal frame-rate gain from switching it on or off, so treat it as something to test on your own system rather than a fix. Keep the setting that gives the more stable result in your own testing.
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3. Optimizations for windowed games
This feature applies only to DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless windowed mode. According to Microsoft Support’s “Optimizations for windowed games in Windows 11” page, it moves compatible games from the legacy blt presentation model to the flip model, which reduces frame latency and enables features such as Auto HDR and variable refresh rate on supported displays. Enable it in the Graphics settings above, then restart the game. If a particular game looks or behaves worse with it on, you can turn it off for that app.
If you turn on Auto HDR, Windows enables windowed-game optimizations automatically.
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4. Graphics preference on multi-GPU PCs
This step matters only on PCs with more than one graphics processor, most often hybrid laptops that have both integrated and discrete graphics. Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics, select the game, and choose High performance to send it to the discrete GPU. Choose Let Windows decide to hand control back to Windows, or Power saving to favor the integrated GPU. Restart the game after changing the preference. On a single-GPU desktop this option does not apply.
5. Auto HDR
Auto HDR improves color and brightness presentation for supported SDR games, and it requires an HDR display. Use it for how a game looks, not as a way to gain frames. If the picture looks washed out or wrong on your display, turn it off for that game.
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6. Auto SR
Auto Super Resolution is opt-in. Whether it is offered depends on your device, the game and the resolution it renders at. Check the Auto SR tab in the Xbox Game Bar Display widget or the per-game Maximum display resolution selector in Windows. Microsoft says it generally helps games rendering below 1080p, does not currently support HDR content, and that results depend on the game, its settings and the system. Because UI and text quality can suffer in some games, judge it by how the game looks as well as how it runs.
7. DirectStorage
DirectStorage shortens load times and works automatically when both the PC and the game support it. There is nothing to install or toggle as a general performance tweak. If your storage or GPU does not meet the requirements above, the feature will not be used, and that is not a fault to fix.
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Tune the game after Windows is set
Windows settings set the stage. The main gains usually come from the game’s own resolution and graphics options, and the right adjustment depends on what is limiting performance.
Find the limit first
Microsoft Learn’s Windows gaming developer guidance describes two broad cases. A CPU-limited game is held back by the processor, which handles simulation, AI and draw submission. A GPU-limited game is held back by the graphics processor. In the systems Microsoft analyzed, which used high-performance GPUs, the vast majority of games were CPU-limited, while some GPU-limited cases came from heavy pixel fill at high resolutions or weak vertex-shader performance. That is developer-facing context, not a survey of every Game Pass title or consumer PC, so use it as a way to think about your own bottleneck rather than as a rule.
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| Likely limit | Typical sign on your PC | Settings to try first |
|---|---|---|
| GPU-limited | GPU usage stays near its maximum while frame rate drops, and changing resolution or detail moves the frame rate noticeably | Lower the render resolution, reduce the most expensive visual options such as shadows, reflections or post-processing, and check whether Auto SR is offered for your resolution |
| CPU-limited | Frame rate stays low when you lower resolution, while CPU usage is high on one or more cores | Reduce CPU-heavy options such as crowd density, simulation or view distance; lowering resolution will not help much |
| Memory-limited | Stutters or hitching appear when you move through the world, with system memory heavily used | Lower texture and detail settings; Microsoft’s guidance notes lower detail may suit a PC where physical memory is limited relative to video memory |
The per-game control names in the table are general troubleshooting categories, not a Microsoft prescription, because Microsoft’s sources do not list controls for individual games. Check the options your game actually provides.
How to test one change at a time
Changing several settings at once makes it impossible to tell what helped. Use this method on your own system:
- Launch the game and load a repeatable scene, or use a built-in benchmark if the game has one. Play it for a few minutes to get a baseline.
- Note your baseline frame rate and how smooth it feels, paying attention to stutters and frame pacing, not only the average.
- Change one Windows setting or one game option, and restart the game if the Windows setting requires it.
- Repeat the same scene and compare the results.
- Keep the change if it helps. Restore the previous setting if it worsens frame pacing, image quality or stability.
Keep local and cloud performance separate
Everything above applies to a Game Pass game installed and played on your PC. Cloud gaming through Xbox Cloud Gaming depends on network and stream quality, which these local Windows settings do not control. If a game stutters only in the cloud, these steps will not fix it.
Quick Recap
What to avoid
- Do not apply random registry edits, third-party “debloat” scripts or driver tools in the hope of gaining frames. These are not part of Microsoft’s guidance for this topic.
- Do not disable security features to gain performance.
- Do not buy new hardware based only on these steps. Confirm the bottleneck first, since a CPU, GPU or memory upgrade helps only when that component is the limit.
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