Skip to main content

Microsoft says disabling these two Windows 11 features will boost gaming performance

Two settings in Windows 11 may affect gaming performance, says Microsoft. These settings are enabled by default.

Microsoft has made it possible for you to disable these options, but there are also reasons why you might want to keep them on. However, if your computer’s performance in games is less than stellar, they might be worth checking out.

An Alienware + Windows 11 PC gaming setup.
Alienware

Microsoft has posted a new support document detailing the two features and their possible impact. The company has found that Memory Integrity and Virtual Machine Platform (VMP) have affected the gaming performance of some users.

Recommended Videos

VMP does pretty much what it says on the tin — it provides virtual core machine services for Windows 11. Memory Integrity plays a fairly big role, though, because it’s responsible for checking new drivers and ensuring that they’re coming from a trustworthy source. It protects your system from malicious code. This is why you might want to avoid disabling this feature, and if you do disable it, it’s a good idea to toggle it back on when your gaming session comes to an end.

Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t go into any detail as to how widespread the problem is, only noting that it happens “in some scenarios and some configurations of gaming devices.”

Of course, if you’re experiencing poor frame rates or other issues while you game, there could be any number of reasons why that might be happening — but if you’re a Windows 11 user, you can try to optimize your gaming experience in this fairly easy way first.

Before you get to disabling things, keep in mind that Microsoft recommends turning these settings back on later, and it adds: “If turned off, the device may be vulnerable to threats.” If you want to give it a shot regardless of Microsoft’s warnings, here’s how to do it.

How to disable Memory Integrity and VMP

Person sitting and using a Windows Surface computer with Windows 11.
Windows 11 / Microsoft

In order to turn off Memory Integrity, go into your Start Menu by pressing the Windows key, then type in “Core Isolation” in the taskbar. Select it when it pops up, and when you’re on that page, toggle Memory Integrity off. Microsoft recommends that you restart your device afterward.

Turning off VMP is equally simple. Once again, go into the Start Menu, and in search, type in “Turn Windows features on or off.” When you’re in the Windows Features section, find Virtual Machine Platform and deselect it. Press OK to finalize these changes and restart your computer.

If you’re not seeing any benefit from turning off these two settings, it’s best to keep them on. However, if you’re not happy with your frame rates, we have a handy guide that can help you with some more ideas to try out.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
Microsoft could make account-free Windows 11 installs a thing of the past
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

The offline Windows 11 install looks like it could officially be a thing of the past. 

Microsoft is officially shutting the door on local accounts during Windows 11 setup, confirming that all new installations, Home and Pro alike, will now require a Microsoft account. 

Read more
Microsoft is working on something new, but it’s probably not Windows 12
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft appears to be working on a new major update, but if you're hoping for Windows 12, I wouldn't hold my breath. The company has confirmed that it's testing new content via the Insider program in the Dev Channel, and those changes might lead to a patch that's set to be released later this year. However, we're most likely looking at the successor to the current 24H2 build -- namely Windows 11 25H2 -- and not a whole new operating system.

This was first spotted by Windows Central. The publication cites its own sources as it claims that Microsoft is backporting some platform changes to offer better support for Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X2 chip. Those changes will allow devices that house that chip to run Germanium-based Windows 11. Germanium refers to the platform release that the current Windows 11 build is built on, and it looks like the upcoming 25H2 build might also be based on Germanium -- but nothing is fully clear at this point.

Read more
Microsoft warns users Windows 10 support ends soon, these are your options
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Many were hoping that Windows 10 might still get another lease on life, but alas -- that doesn't seem to be the case. Microsoft has just started sending out emails to users who are still running Windows 10, and those emails make it quite clear that the end-of-life (EOL) period of the beloved operating system is coming to an end. Microsoft's advice? Upgrade to Windows 11 ASAP.

Windows Latest received an email from Microsoft, titled: "End of support for Windows -- what you need to know." This message was likely sent out to many more users, and may keep popping into people's mailboxes as Microsoft keeps rolling out the alert.

Read more