FIX · GAMING
Fullscreen optimizations: on or off for games?
Fullscreen optimizations take a game that asks for exclusive fullscreen and run it as a highly optimized borderless window that fills the screen, while the game still believes it is in exclusive fullscreen. Microsoft's DirectX team reports that almost all users get the same performance as exclusive fullscreen, with faster alt-tab and working overlays. So leave them on unless a specific game misbehaves. If one does, Microsoft's fix is narrow: tick Disable fullscreen optimizations for that game's executable, then measure.
Updated .
TECHNICAL SUMMARY
| Where it lives | The game's .exe, Properties, Compatibility tab |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Games that request exclusive fullscreen |
| Scope | Only the executable you change |
| Microsoft's position | On by default; turn it off per game if that game has a problem |
| PC Tweaker plan | Free, for a global switch |
What fullscreen optimizations are
Microsoft introduced them with Windows 10. The Desktop Window Manager normally composites every window on screen, but it was extended to recognize a game in a borderless full-screen window with nothing else on top. In that case it gives the game control of the display and nearly all of the processor and graphics resources. When an overlay such as Xbox Game Bar appears, the Desktop Window Manager takes control back so it can draw the overlay safely, which Microsoft says costs a little performance.
What Microsoft says about performance
Microsoft's post states that almost all users see performance equal to exclusive fullscreen, and that its telemetry shows it is, on average, as good or better. An average is not your game, and the post gives no figures and does not discuss input latency, so nobody can tell you from that post what happens in one title on your PC. We do not publish a number for any game either. The way to find out is the test in the steps below.
- Same game, scene, settings and capture tool
- Three runs with the box unticked, three with it ticked
- Judge frame times rather than a single average
- Keep the default if the difference is within run-to-run noise
One game or every game
Microsoft documents the per-game box and asks people to report games where it helps, through the Feedback Hub. It does not document a global switch. The registry value GameDVR_DXGIHonorFSEWindowsCompatible under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore is what PC Tweaker's global control sets; treat it as an undocumented setting. The per-game box is narrower and easier to undo, so start there, and only use a global change if several older games have the same problem.
Do it by hand
Check whether the game is using them
Start the game in fullscreen and press Windows+G. Microsoft's test: if Xbox Game Bar appears as an overlay, fullscreen optimizations are active. In true exclusive fullscreen the display brightness may flicker instead. Update your graphics driver before you change anything else, as Microsoft recommends.
Turn them off for one game
Right-click the game's .exe, select Properties and open the Compatibility tab. Under Settings, tick Disable fullscreen optimizations and select Apply. Pick the game's actual executable rather than a launcher.
Compare
Run the same scene three times with the box unticked and three times ticked, using the same capture tool, then keep whichever is better. If you see no difference, untick it.
Read the global value (read-only)
This shows the value PC Tweaker's global control changes. On the PC this guide was checked on (Windows 11 build 26300) it read 0, the state with fullscreen optimizations left in place.
cmdreg query "HKCU\System\GameConfigStore" /v GameDVR_DXGIHonorFSEWindowsCompatibleTurn them back on
Untick Disable fullscreen optimizations on the same tab and select Apply.
With PC Tweaker
The Disable fullscreen optimizations globally control in the Gaming category sets GameDVR_DXGIHonorFSEWindowsCompatible = 1 for your account, shows that change under Technical details before it runs, and records the previous value so Restore puts it back. It affects every game on the account, so the per-game box above is the better first step when only one game misbehaves.
Rather not edit the registry by hand?
PC Tweaker shows the exact change before it runs, records the value it replaces and puts it back with Restore. The Free plan needs no account. If a payment fails or a plan ends, Pro tools lock; changes already applied stay as they are and Restore still undoes them.
Common questions
What does disable fullscreen optimizations do?
It tells Windows to give that game true exclusive fullscreen when it asks for it, instead of running it as an optimized borderless window. The box is on the Compatibility tab of the game's .exe and affects only that executable.
Should I disable fullscreen optimizations?
Only for a game that misbehaves. Microsoft's DirectX team reports that almost all users see the same performance as exclusive fullscreen, and that the feature gives faster alt-tab and working overlays. Neither Microsoft nor we publish a figure for a specific game such as CS2 or Valorant, so run the same scene three times each way and compare frame times.
How do I know if fullscreen optimizations are active?
Start the game in fullscreen and press Windows+G. Microsoft's test is that if Xbox Game Bar appears as an overlay, fullscreen optimizations are active. In true exclusive fullscreen the display brightness may flicker instead.
Does disabling fullscreen optimizations reduce input lag?
Microsoft's post on the feature does not discuss input latency, so there is no official answer, and we do not claim one. If input lag matters in a particular game, measure it with the box ticked and unticked on your own PC.
Can I disable fullscreen optimizations for all games?
Microsoft documents only the per-game box. PC Tweaker's global control sets GameDVR_DXGIHonorFSEWindowsCompatible = 1 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore, an undocumented value, and records the previous one so Restore can put it back. Start with the per-game box unless several older games have the same problem.
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