Windows 11 may prove troublesome for embedded gaming PCs, as new security features could degrade gaming performance. [PC Gamer's testing shows that PCs running Windows 11 have Microsoft's Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) feature enabled, which can reduce game frame rates by up to 28%. According to PC Gamer's testing, this feature could reduce a game's frame rate by up to 28%.

VBS is an enterprise-grade feature that creates a safe area of system memory isolated from the regular operating system. It effectively provides a safe virtual area for running programs, keeping them away from vulnerabilities and malware that could affect the main operating system. in Windows 10, this is an option to better lock down corporate PCs, but in Windows 11 it is by default Enabled.

However, virtualization consumes hardware resources, which, according to PC Gamer, negatively affects gaming performance. According to the site, while games like "Far Cry New Dawn" were barely affected, "Horizon Zero Dawn," "Metro Exodus," and "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" saw frame rates drop by 25%, 24%, and 28%, respectively. Shadow of the Tomb Raider" by 28%. In addition, the 3DMark Time Spy composite benchmark also showed a 10% performance drop.

Since VBS is not enabled when upgrading from Windows 10, this does not mean that a gaming PC should not be upgraded to Windows 11. Nor does it apply to clean installations of Windows 11.

However, there are concerns with off-the-shelf PCs from OEM manufacturers like HP and Dell. These computer manufacturers likely have VBS enabled by default, which comes with a potential game performance hit; there may be a way to disable VBD, but it may require editing the registry.

Microsoft has yet to comment on VBS, and there is no way to determine if this feature will affect future built gaming PCs or if OEMs will find workarounds. With Windows 11 being released on October 5, time will tell. It will, but we recommend that anyone looking to purchase a new pre-built gaming PC exercise some degree of caution.