Gamers have been trying to get the best performance out of their PC games since the dawn of the hobby. Many are now turning to the internet to try and find ways to improve their FPS (frames per second) and get a smoother gaming experience. Since Windows 11, we’ve seen a new “fix” for gaming performance: a recommendation to disable VBS.
While the prospect of disabling performance-intensive settings in Windows isn’t exactly new, not every setting that someone on the Internet asks you to disable is actually something you should remove. Actually, You should not disable VBSbecause this feature helps protect the basic functionality of your computer and disabling it does not really offer any performance improvement.
What is VBS?
VBS stands for virtualization-based security. It basically uses hardware virtualization to create an isolated environment for the root of your operating system. This is designed to prevent the kernel, one of the most important parts of your PC, from being compromised if you accidentally download a virus or malware.
One of the main ways VBS helps protect your computer is through a solution called Memory Integrity. This feature essentially allows Windows to run and kernel code with the isolated environment to ensure its security and legitimacy. This prevents unsigned and untrusted drivers from being able to modify the very core of your PC, protecting you from bad actors.
Because it plays a very important role in protecting the core of your PC, you should not mess with VBS, as disabling it could expose your computer to malware and virus attacks.
How to check if VBS is enabled
Unfortunately, not all Windows 11 PCs will have VBS enabled by default. Users who have upgraded unsupported PCs to Windows 11 are most likely to see VBS disabled by default, as VBS has certain requirements that must be met before it can be enabled. Most newer PCs should meet all of these requirements, which is why some older PCs may not have VBS even though VBS actually predates Windows 11. (This is also why VBS is so associated with Windows 11). You can learn a little more about VBS requirements by checking out Microsoft’s detailed article. Note that the requirements are very heavy on technical jargon, so it can be a little difficult to understand them if you don’t have a working knowledge of the fundamental systems that computers need to function and stay secure.
To check if VBS is enabled on your PC, open the Start menu and search for System information. This will open a new window with a long list of different features and functionality that your system is currently running. Look for the line that says Virtualization-based security.
Another way to easily check if VBS is enabled is to search Core insulation from your Start menu. From there, check if the Memory integrity the function is activated or deactivated. If enabled, Memory Integrity and VBS are enabled, giving your PC a little more protection. If you really want to disable it, you can disable it to disable VBS and remove this extra layer of security.
Is it worth disabling VBS to improve performance?
Not really. VBS provides significant additional protection, and in most cases you won’t see a performance increase of more than five percent on Windows and applications. Some users have reported a performance increase of up to 15% when disabling the feature, although your mileage may vary.
However, as I noted above, VBS is a very important security feature. Unless you are very smart about how you browse the Internet, I recommend leaving it turned on for added protection. If you are having trouble with performance, you can try these tips to improve gaming performance before disabling VBS:
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Free up storage space: If you are using an SSD, it is always a good idea to keep the disk containing your operating system as empty as possible. This is because SSDs can slow down as they become full. For this reason, I recommend separating your operating system and any important applications from other items, like games and applications you don’t need directly on your main drive. If you have too many apps or games installed on your primary drive, try removing some of them to see if that improves your performance.
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Disable to start up apps: If your main performance issues occur at startup, you can try disabling applications that start automatically when you turn on your PC. Many apps have a “launch at login” option, and while you can disable them individually within apps, the easiest way to do this is to open Task Manager with Control + Alt + Delfind the Startup Applications page and set as many as possible to disabled.
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Disable Xbox Game Bar: Ever since Microsoft started mixing Xbox and Windows for its gaming ecosystem, the Xbox Game Bar has caused problems. Sometimes called Game DVR, this service allows you to record gameplay clips and capture screenshots. This all sounds convenient, but it can also cause performance issues. To disable it, go to Games > Game bar and disable the feature. If you can’t disable it this way, you can also disable it in the registry by following this forum post, although this requires a little more knowledge about the inner workings of your PC. Do not make registry changes if you are not sure what you are doing, as these types of changes can damage your PC’s operating system.
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Lower clearance settings: Of course, the less pleasant answer to improving PC performance in games is to reduce some of the more intensive settings. While they can make your games look pretty, many games simply aren’t as optimized as you might hope, especially with all the exciting technological advancements we have available these days. Try to reduce heavy settings like shadows and post-processing, as they can often bog down your system depending on how the developer has optimized them. In many cases, you may not even notice any visual degradation, but your game’s performance will increase significantly.
