The Top 3 Features that Make Windows 11 the Best Version of Windows Ever for Gaming

As a gamer, it's exciting to explore the latest features in Windows 11 that can enhance your gaming experience. In this article, we'll be discussing three top features that make Windows 11 an ideal choice for gamers.

First Feature: Auto HDR

Auto HDR is a feature that has been introduced in Windows 11, which allows users to enjoy high dynamic range (HDR) content on their screens without the need for separate hardware. HDR means high dynamic range, and it refers to the ability of a screen to display both brighter highlights and darker shadows. This results in a more detailed and better-looking image with improved contrast.

To take full advantage of Auto HDR, users need to view HDR-supported content. However, this is still relatively new, and many games do not have built-in HDR support, especially older titles. In such cases, Auto HDR steps in to enhance the gaming experience by making images look more detailed. This feature can be enabled through the Game Bar settings, where users can adjust the intensity of Auto HDR to their liking.

The demonstration of Auto HDR features in a side-by-side comparison of the game Control with and without Auto HDR is particularly insightful. The game with Auto HDR enabled has more contrast, making it look objectively better than the version without it. Users can customize the Auto HDR setting by adjusting the slider, which affects the background brightness near the center of the screen.

In addition to enabling Auto HDR, users can also press the Windows key plus G shortcut to bring up the Xbox Game Bar, go to settings, select Direct Storage, and enable the feature for better performance in future games that support it. Overall, Auto HDR is a useful feature that enhances the gaming experience without requiring any additional hardware.

Second Feature: Better CPU Scheduling Support

The second feature discussed in this article is better CPU scheduling support in Windows 11. This feature allows for more efficient use of system resources, particularly when running multiple applications at once.

While the Legion 7 laptop reviewed in this article comes with AMD's Ryzen 7 processor, Lenovo also offers a similar model with an Intel processor known as the Legion 7i. The inclusion of both AMD and Intel options is noteworthy, as it provides users with more choices when selecting from the Legion 5, Legion 5 Pro, or Legion 7 gaming laptops.

Intel's new 12th gen hybrid architecture introduces two types of cores: P (performance) cores and E (efficient) cores. The P cores are traditional CPU cores with hyperthreading capabilities, while the E cores are designed to run lighter background tasks.

In this context, Windows 11 is highly recommended by Intel for optimal performance with their latest processors. This is because Microsoft has worked closely with Intel to tune the operating system for this new architecture, ensuring a seamless experience for users.

The importance of choosing the right processor and using the latest version of Windows 11 cannot be overstated, especially for gamers who require fast processing and low latency. By making use of these resources, users can enjoy a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.

Third Feature: Direct Storage

The final feature discussed in this article is Direct Storage, which requires a high-performance NVMe SSD to function optimally. However, modern gaming laptops like those from Lenovo's Legion series have come with such drives by default for years now.

Direct Storage is designed to improve the performance of games that support it by providing faster storage and reduced latency. This feature works in conjunction with Windows 11 to provide a better gaming experience, particularly when playing games that require quick loading times and responsive controls.

In addition to using Direct Storage, users can also enable other features like Auto HDR through the Game Bar settings. By doing so, they can unlock the full potential of their Windows 11 setup and enjoy a seamless gaming experience.

Conclusion

Windows 11 offers several features that make it an ideal choice for gamers. From the introduction of Auto HDR to better CPU scheduling support and Direct Storage, these features work together to provide a smoother, more responsive, and more detailed gaming experience.

By taking advantage of these features, users can enjoy a wide range of benefits, including improved image quality, faster performance, and reduced latency. Whether you're playing games that require high-end hardware or just want to enhance your overall gaming experience, Windows 11 is the perfect operating system for you.

With all three features discussed in this article, it's clear that Windows 11 is the best version of Windows ever for gamers. Its ability to provide a seamless and responsive gaming experience makes it an essential tool for anyone who wants to take their gaming to the next level.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enLenovo has sponsored this video for me to show you what I think are the  top 3 features that make Windows 11 the best version of Windows ever for gaming.I’ll be using Lenovo’s Legion 7 which is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 processor and  Nvidia RTX graphics to show you these features.Combined with high GPU power limits, a MUX switch,  and of course all that RGB lighting, this is Lenovo’s best gaming laptop right now!The first feature I want to cover is Auto HDR,  which has made its way from Xbox over to the PC in Windows 11. Many modern gaming laptops,  such as the Legion 7 I’ve got here, have screens that have HDR support.HDR means high dynamic range. Put simply,  this means that the screen can get both brighter highlights and darker shadows,  resulting in a nicer looking image with better contrast rather than a washed-out picture.In order to get the most out of this though,  you need to view HDR supported content. Unfortunately this is still relatively new,  and many games don’t have HDR support built in, especially older titles.This is where auto HDR steps in to save the day.Basically, the idea is you just press a button to turn it on and games that don’t have their  own HDR implementation simply look better. Auto HDR takes regular SDR content and makes  images look more detailed, thereby enhancing the gaming experience. Let's have a look!I’ve got a side-by-side demonstration here running the game Control,  one of my favourites. The game with auto HDR enabled on the left has more contrast as expected  and just looks objectively better. The screen brightness was the same in both tests. We can  adjust the intensity of Auto HDR through the Game Bar, and with it turned all the way down  it looks the same as running with Auto HDR off, so you’re able to customize it how you like.If I just drag the slider around, you can see how the contrast is being affected in  the background in that bright white space near the tree in the center of the screen.When I opened my test game for the first time before enabling Auto HDR,  Windows actually gave me this message asking if I wanted to turn it on,  and based on the differences we’ve just seen I’ll definitely be gaming with it enabled.The fastest way to turn on Auto HDR in Windows 11 is to press the Windows key plus G shortcut to  bring up the Xbox game bar. Go to settings, select gaming features, make sure Use HDR is selected and  then enable Auto HDR. That’s it, just load up your game after turning it on and you’re good to go.Just before we get to the second feature, Windows 11 also has the Xbox app integrated  and ready to go, so you don’t have to install it yourself like in Windows 10.  This is used to access PC Game Pass, and Lenovo’s Legion 7 comes with three free months,  so you can start gaming with more than 100 titles straight away.Alright the second feature I want to cover is DirectStorage,  and this is one future games will benefit greatly from.Basically, the goal of DirectStorage is to significantly improve game load times  and other loading activities. It can be a bit jarring when game  assets suddenly pop into view as they’re loaded from storage.This is how content gets from your SSD to the GPU  in current games right now without DirectStorage. Files are read into  system memory or RAM and the CPU decompresses them before they end up available to the GPU.With DirectStorage, the CPU step can be skipped,  freeing it up for other tasks like focusing on running the rest of the game. GPU decompression  is faster than using the CPU, and it’s this new solution for loading content  straight from storage to the GPU that will make gaming a better experience.Direct Storage requires a high performance NVMe SSD, but thankfully modern gaming  laptops like those from Lenovo’s Legion series have come with these by default for years now.Now features like DirectStorage will also be available in Windows 10, however Microsoft have  said that the newer Windows 11 has an upgraded storage stack which will unlock the full potential  of DirectStorage, so better performance in future games that support the feature.The third way Windows 11 will improve gaming is with better CPU scheduling support.Now although the Legion 7 I’ve got here has AMD’s Ryzen 7 processor,  Lenovo also offers the same laptop with an Intel processor, known as the Legion 7i.This isn’t my main point, but I just want to stop here for a second and  acknowledge how cool it is that Lenovo offers both Intel and AMD options in their laptops.  I always say that user choice is best and it’s great that we’ve got these options  when picking from either their Legion 5, Legion 5 Pro or Legion 7 gaming laptops.Alright back to the main point - Intel’s new 12th gen hybrid architecture  introduces the concept of P and E cores to the processor. The P cores, or performance cores,  are basically the traditional CPU cores we’ve always had with hyperthreading,  while E cores, or efficient cores, are designed to run lighter background tasks.Intel recommends using Windows 11 for the best experience with these new processors,  as they’ve worked closely with Microsoft to tune the operating system for this new architecture.Basically, for optimal performance with Intel’s latest 12th gen processors,  both in and out of gaming, Windows 11 is absolutely what I would be using.With all these great features,  Windows powered PCs and laptops are clearly the optimal choice for gamers.Lenovo and all gaming laptop makers for that matter are shipping their  laptops with Windows 11 this year, so I’ll be using it throughout all of my future content.You can experience Windows 11 now! As mentioned,  it’s available on all Lenovo Legion devices this year, but if you’ve already got an  existing machine then updating for free through Windows update is a simple process.Let me know which of these three new features you’re most interested to try out in the comments!  Personally, I think Auto HDR will be most useful for most people,  as it just makes games look better and all you have to do is enable one simple setting,  but I'm really keen to hear what you think!\n"