Games have come a long way, and now some of the most popular games have graphics that look almost identical to real life. Windows 11 has recently come out, and in this article I will cover if all games work on Windows 11.
Games do work on Windows 11. This includes the most popular games such as Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. As well as, app-based games that are downloaded from the Microsoft app store, and in browser games.
The most popular games are often incredibly large in size. Due to the number of files and lines of code, it’s a bit of a major undertaking to ensure a game works perfectly on a completely different operating system. Below, I will:
- If there are any games that don’t work on Windows 11
- If Windows 11 is good for gaming
- If running Windows 11 affects gaming performance
Games That Don’t Work on Windows 11
In general, all games work. But, currently a few select titles are being updated to run perfectly on Windows 11. For example, League of Legends (LoL), states on their official website that they do not currently recommend playing it on Windows 10, until such time as they have thoroughly tested it on Windows 11.
But, overall, it’s rare for a game to state this. And either people have reported in comments online that a game works fine, or the official website of the game states that it works on Windows 11.
In my research I found that most games only state minimum system requirements, and do not state explicitly that a game works on Windows 11 or not.
So, it can be assumed that these games work perfectly fine on Windows 11. Below, is a table that shows which of the most popular games work on Windows 11?
| Game | Does it work on Windows 11 |
| Minecraft | Yes |
| Call of Duty (all versions) | Yes |
| The Sims 4 | Yes |
| Fortnite | Yes |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Yes, currently says Windows 10 is preferred |
| League of Legends | No, works but not well. League of Legends has officially stated it hasn’t been updated properly yet (as of March, 2023) |
| Counter-Strike, and CS:GO | Yes |
| PUBG | Yes |
| Among Us | Yes |
| Valorant | Yes |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Inconclusive, looks like it should work with no problems. No official word from Rockstar Games (company that makes GTA 5) |
| Overwatch 1 & 2 | Yes |
| Rocket League | Yes |
| Apex Legends | Yes |
For all of these games that are compatible with Windows 11:
- The official website for the game does not state that it is not supported on Windows 11
- People have reported that it works fine on Windows 11 on forums
- It states that you can download the Windows 11 or Windows 10 version
Interestingly, only one of these games currently, as of early 2023 gives the option to download the game, or game client like Steam in the Windows 11 version.
It’s very likely this will be included on the official download page for these games, and in the system requirements in the future. As more and more people migrate to Windows 11. Once,
What about the classic Windows games like Solitaire and Minesweeper
Some people, myself included, played a lot of Solitaire and Minesweeper. As you may know, these games came with older versions of Windows, all the way back to Windows 3.11 (Windows for Workgroups).
Some people still love to play these games, as well as others like Freecell. These are also built into Windows 11. You can access them through one app called ‘Solitaire & Casual Games’.
Retro games made for older version of Windows
There are a small percentage of games that are made for older versions of Windows, such as Windows 95, and Windows XP. Some of these games were made once, and never updated again. They were a ‘one and done’. Such as, classics like King’s Quest, and Warcraft III. However, nowadays these games can be played in a web browser from various free websites. Which can be found by doing a simple Google search.
These websites typically have a huge library of games such as Mortal Kombat I, and II. And Marvel vs. Capcom.
Is Windows 11 Good for Gaming
Games are known to work very well on Windows 11. So, it’s fair to be reluctant to upgrade to Windows 11 without doing thorough research. People have now performed various tests on Windows 10 and compared it to Windows 11, so here is whether Windows 11 is good for gaming.
Windows 11 is good for gaming. Independent tests have shown that Windows 11 performs the same as Windows 10 for gaming. There is no significant difference in load time, or frame-rate (FPS) on the same computer whether it runs Windows 10 or Windows 11.
I covered this topic in detail in this article about whether Windows 11 is slower than Windows 10. It shows the results of independent tests that tested a range of different things a computer does. As well as, how the FPS varies for a few very popular and graphics intensive games.
Does Windows 11 Affect Gaming Performance
Gaming performance is controlled by the speed of an operating system, as well as, the hardware such as the CPU, RAM, and graphics card. The operating system is a key factor, so below is a full summary of whether Windows 11 affects gaming performance.
Windows 11 does not affect gaming performance. Overall, Windows 11 and Windows 10 are virtually identical in performance based on numerous independent tests. It was found there is only a minor difference in FPS, and can be a few FPS slower or faster.
Interestingly, some people have found that upgrading to Windows 11 fixed issues they were having in certain games. Such as rare user interface glitches, or when the game crashes. Therefore, you may see an improvement in performance.
But, all things considered Windows 11 and Windows 10 use nearly identical computer resources. As a result, the way they perform for games is also practically identical. Therefore, if you’re currently running Windows 10, and have the specs required to install Windows 11, you should go ahead and do it.
There are no downsides to doing so. And the user interface is far nicer to look at and use.