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Windows 11 was released in October of last year, and all Windows 10 users who have a compatible machine will see an option to upgrade to the new operating system for free. The new Windows does bring in some improvements, but a few nuances are also a downgrade from its predecessor. Windows 11 has a simple, clean look and has excellent quality of life improvements. However, it also has demanding system requirements and a design that takes some time to get used to.
A major issue for users that were looking to upgrade was that it requires a recent CPU to run, and even the strongest CPUs before 8th gen Intel are incompatible with the operating system. While it is a great way to force people to upgrade their computers, it is unfair to those who cannot upgrade due to a single hardware component. Luckily, the new operating system is not considered a major upgrade for gaming.
Is it worth upgrading to Windows 11 for gaming?
1) It's not a major upgrade to Windows 10
If your PC has Windows 10 installed and you use it mainly for gaming, don't be in a hurry to upgrade to the new operating system, as it does not offer any meaningful improvements over your current Windows version.
Going through the process of upgrading the operating system is hectic, and the installation is not always a smooth process. Directly upgrading from the Windows installer can result in various problems, most of which can be avoided if you freshly install Windows 11 with a factory reset. A factory reset helps the system avoid running into driver problems and makes the upgrade process smoother, but the new operating system is not worth re-installing all your apps and games for.
Windows 10 will suffice for gamers, and the upgrade can be made later when clear benefits can be observed.
2) Windows 11 currently has bugs
Windows 10 has been around for five years. It is a polished and highly functional OS with almost no bugs. Windows 11, however, is new and not yet a bug-free OS. It still has its fair share of problems, even almost a year after its launch. These bugs will eventually get fixed, but they still make it an inconvenience to work with.
The best option is to wait until these bugs are cleared out, and Windows 11 becomes a more optimized operating system.
3) Windows 10 has better gaming performance
In most cases, the FPS in games installed on Windows 10 is better than that of Windows 11 (with both installed on computers that have the same specifications).
This is mainly due to Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), a setting introduced to Windows 10 which is automatically turned on in new computers with Windows 11. It uses hardware and software virtualization to enhance the security of the computer, which uses resources in the background, resulting in frame rate drops while gaming.
Even though the OS is advertised by Microsoft as "built for gaming" with additional gaming features, Windows 10 is a great operating system to game on with no evident drawbacks.
4) Internet required
Windows 11 requires the user to log into a Microsoft account to use the operating system, even if the user is paying extra for the Pro version. Without an internet connection, you will not be able to log in and ultimately will not be able to use Windows altogether.
If you want to play games on a completely offline device, it's best to stick with Windows 10.
5) Higher system requirements
If the operating system requires you to upgrade your hardware, it is generally not worth doing so. Even with competent hardware that can run the latest games at the highest settings, the OS might not be compatible with some of the components. The most tedious requirement of the system software is TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module), which is enforced for security-related reasons.
TPM 2.0 is a feature physically available on motherboards, and if your motherboard does not have it, the new operating system is not for you, even if you have other newer parts. Although TPM 2.0 is available on motherboards that are no more than five years old, it is not the only heavy requirement, as any CPU older than the 8th gen Intel core is not supported. So users with a 7th generation Kaby Lake processor will not be able to install the latest version of Windows.
