Will my games run on Windows 10?

With Windows 10 readily available to download, gamers are becoming increasingly worried that their games won’t run properly on the new operating system. Is it a worry that they should have? How can you check whether your games or apps are compatible with Windows 10? Read on and find out.

For the latest information regarding the release of Windows 10, and the operating systems features itself, you might want to take a look at this: Windows 10 release date, price, features and news

Will my games run on Windows 10: Driver compatibility

So, the question on the lips of many gamers around the world is “will my games run on Windows 10?” and, simply put, the answer is “yes”. There’s no huge application security model or driver architecture changes like there was when users upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista/7, which means if your games ran on Windows 7 or 8, they’ll definitely be able to run on Windows 10.

Windows 10 does include a new application model, but traditional Windows desktop applications can run side-by-side with these new applications, offering no complications for gamers.

If you’re still worried, it should help to note that Windows 10 will come with a “compatibility mode”, much like in Windows 7. The compatibility mode will trick any incompatible game (or any application in general) into thinking they’re running on an older, compatible version of Windows. The best part is that Windows 10 should automatically enable the compatibility mode if it detects a game that requires it, which should give you an overall better experience when making the move to Windows 10.

If for whatever reason compatibility mode isn’t automatically enabled when needed, you can manually enable the mode by right-clicking the game’s .exe file (or shortcut), clicking Properties, then the Compatibility tab, then selecting an older version of Windows that the game previously worked on.

See also: 10 best new features in Windows 10, from Cortana to holograms

Will my games run on Windows 10: How to find out if an application is compatible

Still not convinced that your games won’t run on Windows 10? There’s a simple way that you can check your entire system for incompatibly games or applications. Microsoft offers an Upgrade Advisor that should scan your entire system and inform you of any applications or hardware that won’t be compatibly/may be buggy on Windows 10.

So, how do you access the Upgrade Advisor? There’s only one way you can currently access it, and that’s by running the “Get Windows 10” application that was recently rolled out to Windows 7 and 8.1 users via Windows update. All you need to do is click the “Get Windows 10” icon in your system tray and follow the initial set up process. This will also automatically download the Windows 10 operating system update when it becomes available on 29 July 2015.

See also: Windows 10 preview review

Will my games run on Windows 10: DirectX 12

Not only is it pretty much guaranteed that your games will run properly in Windows 10, chances are that they’ll be running faster and better than ever thanks to the brand new DirectX 12 application programming interface.

One of the most exiting features of DirectX 12 is the “Explicit Multiadapter” which lets software utilise multiple graphics processors inside a PC, even if they’re not from the same manufacturer. This should allow you to use the basic graphics integrated on your Intel processor for specific tasks, while your dedicated GPU can handle primary duties. It also means that you’ll be able to use an AMD Radeon graphics card and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card on the same system.

So, what’s the point of the Explicit Multiadapter? Offloading a portion of each frame’s rendering to a second GPU can both speed up the frame rate of the game and create an overall smoother gaming experience.

If you want to get Windows 10 right now, find out how to here: How to install Windows 10 right now

Will my games run on Windows 10: Nvidia GPU drivers

Some gamers, namely those that rely on a Nvidia GPU, may experience issues when first installing Windows 10 – mainly issues regarding driver compatibility. Users have reported multiple crashes and resolution issues after the install, but there’s no need to worry as Nvidia has released its Game Ready Drivers for Windows 10. Publishing a blog post on its website on Windows 10 launch day, the company told users that a driver update is available through both the Nvidia GeForce Experience and the Drivers section of the Nvidia website. 

The updated driver includes support for Windows 10 (of course!), tweaks and optimisations for games running on other operating systems, and new SLI profiles (for certain games) to make use of the multi-GPU setup available with DirectX 12. 

Will my games run on Windows 10? Microsoft announces G-SYNC/Freesync support and unlocked frame rate for Universal Windows Platform games

While some may still be wary about gaming in Windows 10, Microsoft is on the case offering more benefits for those that choose to take the risk and update. However, the most recent update should improve Universal Windows Platform (UWP) games and apps, which, up until now have been avoided by many gamers due to generally disappointing performance and a framerate lock despite DirectX12 support.

Microsoft announced via a blog that an update to Windows 10 would bring both an unlocked frame rate and support for AMD’d Freesync and Nvidia’s G-Sync technology in all UWP games and apps. What does this mean for users? A locked frame rate is generally looked down upon in the gaming community as it locks the game’s framerate to a constant rate, which means that any slowdown in frame rate will make the game look like it’s being played in slow motion, and might even have an effect on time-based input (like holding down the A key for ‘X’ amount of seconds).

The introduction of an unlocked frame rate should help reduce lag and stutter in UWP games, and help eliminate screen tearing – although it’s support for Nvidia and AMD’s technology that should really help to counter screen tearing and input lag.

Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s Freesync technology helps to provide gamers with smooth gameplay by synchronising the display refresh rates to the GPU, which should eliminate screen tearing while minimising input lag and display stutter (although the display you use also has an effect on this). This should equate to an all-round better looking game, and when coupled with an unlimited frame rate, has the potential to provide gamers with performance unmatched by console counterparts – depending on your system, of course.

Still unsure about whether you should upgrade to Windows 10? Take a look at this: Should I upgrade to Windows 10? 8 reasons to upgrade, and 2 why you shouldn’t