How to Fix Game Stuttering on Windows 11 [Step-by-Step Guide]

Game stuttering is very annoying for gamers, and this happens due to various reasons like high resource applications running in the background and outdated or faulty display adapters. The article discusses fixes to deal with the problems and resolve the stuttering.

Only a gamer knows how frustrating it is to see the screen stutter while playing the game. A sudden FPS drop would ruin the whole gaming experience and irritates gamers. There are many reasons why this happens the robust mechanisms at the backend of your PC to run the games. Today, through this article, we will try to know the reasons and try them out one by one to fix the game stuttering on Windows 11.

The recent Windows 11 upgrade saw the game stutters more frequently due to the unstable OS, though the FPS drop is not constant but fluctuates through values. Anyhow, Microsoft is working to stabilize the OS. Meanwhile, you can try some fixes to improve the stuttering or avoid it more frequently. Before that, let us know the reasons why this is recurring often.

What Is Causing Game Stuttering on Windows 11

I cannot point out the exact culprit for this, but some people have figured out the underlying causes causing the stutters on the PC. Let us look at some possible reasons for the frame drops in Windows 11:

Game DVR: For the newbies, game DVR is a built-in game recorder in Windows 11. It is enabled by default, which helps users to record gameplay in the background. This features a lot of resources to run, resulting in a lesser FPS count.

Network or connection drivers: They support the games using the network to run them. If you have outdated or corrupt ones, they might lead to poor FPS resolution.

Graphic card drivers: Graphic cards ensure the FPS matches the minimum requirements to run smoothly. We can see the frame drops if there are GPU and Physics driver issues.

Response rate is 1000Hz or higher: Generally called "Mouse Pooling rate," Windows 11 is struggling to stabilize the framerate irrespective of the configuration. Try making it 500Hz to run things smoothly.

Solutions to Fix Game Stuttering on Windows 11

Now that you have understood the possible scenarios causing the fps drop, let us look at ways of fixing it. The solutions are some of the common procedures users follow to get rid of or minimize it.

1. Solution 1. Stop the Recording Tools (DVR Game)
2. Solution 2. Close Resource-Intense Apps Like Chrome
3. Solution 3. Mark the Game as a High Priority
4. Solution 4. Update the Graphic Card Drivers
5. Solution 5. Update Audio Drivers

Now, let's start with the first solution and stop the recording tools.

Solution 1. Stop the Recording Tools (DVR Game)

Game DVR is a tool used to screen record the gameplay simultaneously with playing. It's a highly resource-consuming process resulting in an FPS drop. If the processors and graphic cards are not powerful, they will affect the FPS. If you have a Game DVR or any recording tools in the background, close them and start playing again.

The Game DVR is enabled by default, so we need to disable it to stop interrupting the gameplay. Steps to disable Game DVR in Windows 11:

Step 1. Press Windows + R to open the Run app and Enter regedit to open Registry Editor.

Step 2. In the Window, navigate yourself to the below path to open the registry key called GameDVR_Enabled.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore

Step 3. Modify the field, type in 0 in the value data field, and select Hexadecimal as the base. Save the changes.

Step 4. Restart the computer to see the changes.

Solution 2. Close Resource Intense Apps Like Chrome

Many high-functioning apps like Chrome, YouTube, and Twitch are resources intense. If you are playing the games along with those running in the background, they might cause the FPS to drop. Even if you use different monitors for different apps, the processor might satisfy the app's requirements at different times.

Make sure you close such apps before playing the game to reduce the stuttering. 

Solution 3. Mark the Game as High Priority

There could be a situation where you can only close some background apps to allocate all the processing power to the gameplay. In such cases, you can use the Task Manager to set the game as a high priority to allocate maximum resources to the game.

Steps to set the game as a high priority using Task Manager:

Step 1. Search for Task Manager and open it.

Step 2. Navigate to the Details section and right-click on the gaming app icon.

Step 3. Select Set Priority in the dropdown and set it to High or Above Normal.

Also, if you have some apps that need resources even in the background, you can set them too low a priority.

Solution 4. Update Graphic Card Drivers

Drivers are vital in coordinating the hardware and software to operate smoothly. If the drivers are updated or corrupt, they will perform well. So it is compulsory to keep the important drivers up to date. High-end games need robust graphic cards to function without interruptions. If you are using PCs with NVIDIA or AMD, try updating them from official sites.

Steps to update graphic card drivers on your computer:

Step 1. Press the Windows + X simultaneously and click on "Device Manager" in the options.

Step 2. In the driver's section, expand the "Display Adapters."

Step 3. Choose your graphic card, right-click on it and click on Update driver. 

If you are still facing the problem, uninstall the preinstalled NVIDIA or AMD drivers and reinstall the required files from the official sites.

Solution 5. Update Audio, Network, and USB Drivers (Device Manager)

Along with the graphic card drivers, the other drivers that play an important role are audio, network, and USB drivers.

These utility drives are important to maintain audio quality, network connections, and connected devices related to the game. They help stabilize the game's minimum requirements. We can find all these in the device manager, so navigate to the device manager, locate the drivers and update them. Know more about the fixes with the help of this article by MakeUseOf.

Final Verdict

There could be many other reasons you face the game stuttering on Windows 11. Sometimes, the reasons may be unknown too, but the above fixes were common reasons for the stuttering.

In general, the FPS is associated with Graphic Cards. If it needs to be more powerful, you will see FPS drops, and do check for the game's requirements to set the graphics quality.

I hope you like the articles and find solutions for game stuttering on Windows 11. Do share it with your friends and leave a comment about it. If you have any queries, feel free to post them below.