Microsoft may bring a "Game Mode" to Windows 10

Twitter user "Walking Cat" (@h0x0d) seems to be the first to discover and analyse the dll. (Source: Twitter)

Windows Insider Preview build 14997 includes a .dll hinting at a gaming-optimized mode for extra performance.

Douglas Black, Published 12/29/2016

Windows Insider build 14997 seems to have quite a few tricks up its sleeve: In addition to the earlier-reported blue light killer, a .dll file titled "gamemode.dll" hints that Microsoft may be adding a function for increased resource dedication to games, according to Twitter user "WalkingCat".

According to WalkingCat's analysis of the .dll file, it appears that the "Game Mode" will allocate more CPU and GPU resources to "game" applications when enabled. Current game-boosting programs generally work by boosting the CPU affinity of the application and/or closing down non-essential backgrounds and services, but none include increased allocation for the GPU.

With the resurgence of PC gaming, the addition of this feature will likely be welcome to many Windows 10 users looking for a few extra FPS. We will have to wait for the official implementation to see exactly what effect on performance it will have.