Tag: PC gaming

Getting the Most from Windows 10 Game Mode

We tinker with Microsoft’s newest ‘game mode’ added to Windows 10, can it help make your gaming rig the best it can be?

We tinker with Microsoft’s newest ‘game mode’ added to Windows 10, can it help make your gaming rig the best it can be?

I’ll admit it, my system is currently still running Windows 7. Over the years since 8 was released, and now 10, I haven’t really found the need or desire to swap systems. Windows 7 has always offered everything I wanted for my gaming rig, in addition to having control over things and a lack of “apps” on a PC. That being said, Windows 10’s new ‘game mode’ has me questioning whether or not it might be time to take that leap into Microsoft’s double digits and see what the newest software can really do. Hang out a little longer to find out why.

Windows has been a long-standing staple of computer-based gaming. While some titles wander over to MacOS or Linux machines, Windows carries lion’s share of the marketplace. And while it existed before Windows 95, the interface and Windows that we have come to know and love really only started since Windows 95. If you managed to last through all the clips contained in the above-linked YouTube video (my favorite is the last one), you can see what a turning point they thought Windows 95 was to it’s more Mac-looking predecessors. A new era of gaming and Windows was born.

It’s hard to think that the Windows interface we know and love started out over 20 years ago. How far have we come?

So with just over 20 solid gamer-representin’ years under their belt, Microsoft has decided to address their lions and launch their ‘game mode’ for Windows 10. The operating system, which went live in July of 2015, has received a mixed array of comments over the months since it’s initial release, including criticism of its stealth OS upgrades which happened to a large portion of unwitting users. While a lot of that mess is behind them, Microsoft is trying to hold onto its image and keep its market favour, likely in hopes that developers don’t decide to suddenly make the gaming market a bit more even. Enter, game mode.

Back in January of this year, Microsoft announced on its developer blog that it was going to be improving the gaming and streaming tools available to its consumers, boasting increased performance, fan-requested features, and beam streaming to roll out over 2017.

“Whether you play on Xbox One, a Windows 10 PC, your mobile phone, or anywhere you sign-in with Xbox Live, we’re going to make your gaming experiences easier, more social, and better with innovative hardware and software features throughout the year.”

With all the goodies Microsoft purported to be planning for this gaming improvement, many people appeared to be rather excited. However, back in January, very little was actually said by Microsoft about what they had in store, other than “increased performance” for gaming. As users started to gain access to the fledgling mode since late January, opinions have been mixed about whether or not the mode actually helps to optimize your system for increased gaming performance. Basically, the mode is designed to turn your computer more into a console-type hardware experience, in that, it will prioritize your CPU and video card usage to focus on the game you’re playing, rather than those pesky background tasks. We all leave things like Chrome, Discord, or iTunes open while playing games (if your PC can handle it of course), and game mode purport to help make sure those programs are only taking as much juice as they absolutely need to function. Their goal at launch was to target your frame rates and provide a smoother gameplay experience, no matter what the title.

After turning on game mode, you’ll be able to pull up a very Xbox-looking interface over your currently active game UI, in order to enable or disable the improvements. As the video above describes, Microsoft was also toying with the idea of letting games turn on this mode automatically, ensuring an even more seamless user-experience. While it may not provide that much of a boost now, its current installment may help bridge the gap between playable and non-playable games, for less robust PC setups, as RandomGamingHD states in their YouTube video “Does the New Window 10 ‘Game Mode’ Improve Gaming Performance.” Microsoft themselves have said that it is exactly these lower-end systems that they want game mode to help the most.

Source: PCGamesN

RandomGamingHD’s conclusions, like many others we’ve reviewed, came to the optimistic conclusion that while game mode might not quite be where it needs to be yet, it genuinely offers an integrated potential for improving gaming, especially when you need to squeeze the last drop of power you can from an aging rig. After following Microsoft’s progression through the years, I’m excited to see what they’ve learned from console production, and operating system development, to see how they will continue to meld them together over the calendar year.

While Windows 10 gaming mode may only offer small tweaks and improvements at this time, it has Windows 10 skeptics like me intrigued about the possibility of a PC running optimally for gaming, rather than it being an afterthought. If the mode is perfected and improved upon over the coming months, you may see myself and others like me, switching to reap the benefits.

There are always countless ways to tweak your Windows performance manually, but game mode might not quite offer you the bang you’re looking for, yet. I intend to keep an eye on what Microsoft has in store for gaming and Windows, and I suggest you do too. After all, even 5 more frames, can make all the difference.

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Have you used Windows 10’s game mode? Will you ever? Are you a min/max gamer or do you just pray to the technology gods that your computer will turn on, let alone allow you to play anything? Join in the conversation below on Discord, on our Facebook page, or Twitter!

Why I’m Excited for the Nintendo Switch (And Why You Should Be Too)

When was the last time you got really excited for a console release? Ripping apart shreds of Christmas paper to reach your shiny new Nintendo 64 type excited…

I have been pretty fazed since the most recent generation transition from Xbox 360/Xbox One, PS3/PS4, and of course the Wii/Wii U debacle. Back in 2005, I built my first gaming-ready computer and in watching gaming trends, apart from certain console-specific exclusives, I haven’t felt the draw back to hitting the mean streets of console-land ever since. I was an avid console gamer from my first Sega Genesis system, and I was surprised to find such an easy transition to PC gaming when I finally made the leap. With the dividing lines between PC and console gaming becoming narrower, the decisions gamers must make about what to play on, requires more work on the part of companies to make their hardware stand out.

I’m sure many of us have at least dabbled in a form of mobile gaming other than our phones, if not having a DS or Vita kicking around collecting dust, outside of road trips or Pokémon title launches. As far back as Game Gear, or the original Game Boy, we’ve been kicking it mobile long before phones received anything more enticing than a game of Snake (and no, I don’t mean MGS). As phone-based mobile gaming has taken control of a strong share in the larger gaming market over the years, handheld gaming systems are struggling to find new ways of enticing consumers.

A closer look at the breakdown from last year.

Enter the Switch.

The Nintendo Switch purports to be an entirely new console experience. Seamlessly switching between an at-home console experience to a handheld one, as its namesake suggests, Nintendo seems to have put all its eggs in a convertible basket in order to try and stay relevant. And dare I say it? I think it’s worked. Players like me who have shied away from the brand as of late are drawn back in not only due to its innovative design, but also its attention to graphics and detail. Still the Nintendo we know and love, it has chosen to evolve and serve a consumer beyond the family-with-kids demographic. Surely, that market is not isolated from this design, and is in truth included, other gamers have more to find in the Switch than any Nintendo console since the 64. The goal to bridge the gap between home and mobile play will not be easy for Nintendo to breach, but they have a solid grasp on their attempt to try. Leading with one of the most gorgeous Zelda games in recent years, certainly helps Nintendo here as well.

While time will tell if the Nintendo Switch will be a hallmark of nex-gen gaming, like we expect to see out of augmented and virtual reality kits, remains to be seen. However, gamers can be sure that the hype is real, and is not unfounded. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the Switch as it releases this week, and I hope you join me.

What is your opinion on Nintendo’s latest release? Gimmick or game-breaking shift in console design? Let us know in the comments or join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord!