Gaming Mode

Gaming Mode optimizes your system for the best gaming performance by throttling background applications, optimizing network settings, and reducing latency. Access it instantly with Ctrl+Shift+G.

Opening Gaming Mode

There are several ways to open the Gaming Mode overlay:

Press Ctrl+Shift+G from anywhere in Windows
Click the Gaming Mode button in the footer toolbar
Access it from Settings → Tools → Gaming Mode

The overlay appears as a compact, always-on-top window that you can position anywhere on screen. It's designed to be unobtrusive while gaming.

Activating Gaming Mode

Click the large power button in the overlay to activate Gaming Mode. When active:

Status	Changes from INACTIVE to ACTIVE with a green indicator
Throttling	Background applications are throttled or suspended
Network	Optional network optimizations are applied
Detection	Currently running games are detected automatically

Quick Stats

The overlay displays real-time statistics:

Throttled. Number of applications currently being throttled to free up system resources.

Ping. Current network latency in milliseconds. Lower values mean more responsive online gaming.

MTU. Current MTU optimization status, showing whether packet size optimization is active.

Feature Toggles

Gaming Mode includes six configurable features organized in two rows:

Row 1: Network Optimization

MTU Opt	Optimizes Maximum Transmission Unit for gaming. Adjusts packet sizes to reduce fragmentation and improve throughput. Best for competitive online games.
Low Latency	Disables Nagle's algorithm to send packets immediately rather than buffering. Reduces input lag in games that require instant response like FPS and fighting games.
Throttle Mode	Cycles between Soft, Hard, and Off modes. Soft gently reduces background app priority. Hard aggressively suspends non-essential processes. Off disables throttling.

Row 2: Protection Settings

Auto-Detect	Automatically detects when games launch and activates Gaming Mode. Games are identified from a built-in database plus any games you manually add.
Discord Safe	Prevents Discord from being throttled even when Gaming Mode is active. Keeps voice chat functional during gaming sessions.
Audio Safe	Prevents audio applications (Spotify, music players, etc.) from being throttled. Keeps your background music playing smoothly.

Throttled Apps Section

Click the "Throttled Apps" header to expand or collapse the list of currently throttled applications. When expanded, you can see:

Each application that's currently being throttled
The throttle level applied (soft or hard)
An unthrottle button to immediately restore any specific application

This gives you granular control over which applications remain throttled during your gaming session.

Adding Games to Detection

Click the + button next to the detected game display to add games from running processes:

Launch the game you want to add
Click the + button in Gaming Mode
Select the game process from the list
The game is added to auto-detection for future sessions

Once added, Gaming Mode will automatically activate when that game launches (if Auto-Detect is enabled).

Overlay Controls

The overlay header includes several controls:

Pin button. Keeps the overlay always on top of other windows. Enabled by default - click to toggle.

Minimize button. Minimizes the overlay to the taskbar.

Close button. Closes the overlay. Gaming Mode settings remain active until you deactivate them.

The entire header is draggable, allowing you to position the overlay anywhere on screen.

VPN Status

The footer displays your current VPN connection status. Gaming Mode works seamlessly with VPN - you maintain protection while benefiting from optimizations.

Keyboard Shortcut

Ctrl+Shift+G toggles the Gaming Mode overlay open and closed from anywhere in Windows. This is the fastest way to access gaming optimizations.

How Throttling Works

When Gaming Mode throttles applications:

Soft mode. Lowers process priority so games get CPU time first. Applications continue running but with reduced resources. Minimal impact on background functionality.

Hard mode. Suspends non-essential processes entirely. Maximum performance gain but some background tasks will pause. Applications resume when Gaming Mode ends.

Protected applications (Discord Safe, Audio Safe) are never throttled regardless of mode.

Best Practices

Start with Soft throttle. Hard mode can affect background functionality. Start soft and only use hard if needed.

Enable Discord Safe for multiplayer. Keeps voice chat working smoothly during online gaming.

Use Auto-Detect. Set it up once with your games and Gaming Mode activates automatically when you play.

Test network settings. MTU and Low Latency work best for competitive online games. Test with your specific games to find optimal settings.

Position the overlay. Drag it to a corner of your screen where it won't obstruct gameplay but remains accessible.