Despite Microsoft’s claim that Windows 11 will be ideal for computer games, those planning to buy computers with a pre-installed operating system should be careful. Thanks to standard security measures, the performance of games installed on the operating system can be up to 25% worse than usual.

The problem lies in a virtualization-based security system (called VBS) that has been implemented since Windows 10. Generally speaking, this protection method creates an isolated subsystem within the operating system that helps prevent unwanted and malicious files. log onto your computer, but use physical and digital resources.

Microsoft itself describes the process as follows: “VBS uses hardware resources to create and isolate a portion of device memory. In this way, Windows significantly improves the security of your system and protects it from malicious files and applications that try to bypass traditional virus protection. “To date, the feature has been used primarily in commercial versions of Windows 10.

If you are upgrading your device from an existing Windows 10 to Windows 11, don’t worry as your operating system is highly unlikely to have VBS functionality. Problems can arise when buying a new device with the latest version of Windows pre-installed, because Microsoft has been talking about hardening security systems on the new operating system since August. According to the tech giant, a virtualization-based security system will be pre-installed on many new computers, and ways to integrate this functionality into older systems will be sought in the future.

Representatives of PC Gamer magazine have tested several games on the same device with the VBS security system on and off; its impact on system performance is obvious. Far Cry New Dawn performed best, with the game’s frame rate (FPS) dropping just five percent. Results for all other games tested were much worse, with Horizon Zero Dawn dropping 25%, Metro Exodus 24%, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider 28%. Surprisingly, the 3DMark test score was reduced by only 10%.

The first effect was noticed by the UL safety certification body, which said that after a “clean” installation of Windows 11, the VBS function is activated automatically, but it is not active when the operating system is updated from Windows 10. This means that the same device may work differently depending on how the new operating system was installed. It is also worth mentioning that the normal operation of the system is not affected by virtualization: the frequency of the processor and the video card remains the same, but less power is used.

PC Gamer has installed Windows 11 several times and says that not every time you install the operating system, this security feature is activated automatically, so users should check the device’s security settings before playing games. Devices running Windows 11 are likely to reach users with VBS security pre-enabled.