How to disable DVR in Windows 11 and turn off the Game Bar

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Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

Windows 11 includes a few gaming features. The Game Bar app provides access to many of that platform’s game tools. When Game Bar is enabled, players can press aWin+Ghotkey to open it and access performance, widget, and capturing features.

The Xbox Game Bar is a most welcome addition to Windows 11 on gaming PCs. However, users who don’t play any Windows games on lower-spec productivity PCs don’t need the Game Bar and its recording features. If you don’t need it, the Game Bar is a waste of system resources.

Therefore, productivity users who don’t need Game Bar’s features will no doubt prefer to disable it entirely. Although some Game Bar controls from Windows 10 are missing in 11, you can still turn it off in Microsoft’s latest desktop platform.

What is Game DVR?

Game DVRis the Game Bar’s recording feature. That option enables the background recording of gameplay to help players capture more spectacular gaming moments. It’s a popular feature for players who share gaming clips with friends or on YouTube.

However, not all users appreciate Game DVR. It can have a notable impact on gaming performance on some Windows 11 PCs. So, users who don’t need to record anything might prefer to disable that feature. This is how you can both disable DVR and turn off the Game Bar in Windows 11.

How do you disable DVR in Windows 11?

1. Disable DVR via the Game Bar

2. Disable Xbox Game DVR by editing the registry

How do I disable the Game Bar in Windows 11?

1. Disable the Game Bar and DVR in Windows 11 via Settings

2. Remove the Game Bar from Windows 11

Should I turn Windows Game Mode off as well?

Windows Game Mode is a different feature that optimizes games. That can be a beneficial gaming feature for playing games on low-spec PCs. However, many players have also reported that disabling that feature can fix stuttering, FPS loss, and freezing gaming issues.

So, maybe you should turn it off if Windows 11 games frequently stutter or freeze when you play them. You can turn it off in Settings. OurHow to disable Game Modeguide provides the full low-down for how you can turn off that feature in Windows 11/10.

The Game Bar is great for gaming, but it wastes system resources. If you don’t need Game Bar at all, you might as well remove that app from Windows 11 altogether. You can always reinstall it later by downloading that app from MS Store.

If you only want to disable background Game DVR recording, deselect the Game Bar’s Record in the background setting or edit the registry. Note that you’ll still be able to manually record with that feature disabled.

So, choose whatever method you prefer for disabling Game Bar or its DVR feature in Windows 11. You can also discuss the Game Bar and its DVR feature in the comments section below. Feel free to add any questions about disabling Game Bar/DVR.

How to disable DVR in Windows 11 and turn off the Game Bar#

What is Game DVR?#

How do you disable DVR in Windows 11?#

1. Disable DVR via the Game Bar#

2. Disable Xbox Game DVR by editing the registry#

How do I disable the Game Bar in Windows 11?#

1. Disable the Game Bar and DVR in Windows 11 via Settings#

2. Remove the Game Bar from Windows 11#

Should I turn Windows Game Mode off as well?#