Game DVR is a great addition to Windows 10, but some gamers have complained that this feature impacts PC performance. So Microsoft’s engineers have explained how you can optimize Game DVR.
This information comes courtesy of Microsoft’s Larry Hyrb. And it looks like so:
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These are the two features that impact performance the most. Background recording and support for full screen games are the two most performance sensitive Game DVR features. But fortunately, Microsoft gives you explicit control over each.
Background recording. Background recording is off by default because of its performance implications on PCs with all but the highest-end GPUs. So you’re better off leaving this feature off.
Full screen support. Microsoft initially disabled full screen support for Game DVR because of the performance issues, and with the Anniversary Update installed, this only works with six games. Even still, this can cause huge performance problems, so you might consider disabling this feature universally.
Use up-to-date graphics drivers. This one almost goes without saying, and I’m sure that hardcore PC gamers don’t need to be told this. But, you will typically get the best possible performance from the latest graphics drivers. “In nearly all of the scenarios we tested, we found that updating drivers resolved any performance-related issues without turning off Game DVR or removing the Xbox app,” Mr. Hyrb says.
If you see it, say it. And if you do run into performance issues with Game DVR, or any other problems in Windows 10, be sure to provide feedback to Microsoft so they can fix it. There’s a Feedback Hub app built into Windows 10 for this very purpose.