How to reduce input lag in Windows 11 for better gaming

If you click or press a button and it takes a while for the effect to appear on the screen, your computer is suffering from input lag. This problem can completely ruin the gaming experience, especially in competitive titles like Valorant, CS:GO, Fortnite, or Call of Duty. Although hardware plays a role, There is a lot you can do from the settings to reduce input lag. on Windows 11 and play better. More details below.

What is input lag and why it matters?

If you're a gamer, whether casual or competitive, you're probably aware of how annoying and detrimental input lag can be to every match. Basically, input lag is that Delay between pressing a key or moving the mouse and seeing the action reflected on the screenExperiencing this latency is much worse if you're in the middle of a fast-paced game, where a few milliseconds can make all the difference.

La lack of precision and loss of control The input lag issue is exacerbated in online games. Sending data from your computer to the server takes fractions of a second, but it can take much longer if your connectivity is slow. Add to this the services and visual effects built into Windows 11, which, while beautiful, can introduce even more latency.

Fortunately, it's possible to apply certain tweaks locally to reduce input lag in Windows 11 for better gaming. The most effective measures are: Replace wireless peripherals, lower resolution, prioritize system resources, and take advantage of gaming modes and profiles.Let's take a look at each one and see how much the response speed improves in each game.

How to reduce input lag in Windows 11: Use wired peripherals

Before you get into the Windows 11 settings, it's a good idea to consider the following: Advantages of using wired peripheralsIt's true that wireless mouses offer greater freedom of movement, but not all offer good response times. This is especially true if the mouse or keyboard is the cheapest one you found at the store.

So either you use wired peripherals to reduce input lag in Windows 11, or you invest in high-end wireless headphonesThe gaming models operate at a 2.4 GHz frequency, which reduces latency to 1 millisecond. This means that inputs you make using the keyboard or mouse will be instantly reflected on the screen.

Enable Optimization for Windowed Games

Let's now see how to reduce system latency by using the performance options built into Windows 11. One of them is the Optimization for windowed games, which improves visual consistency, fluidity, and, ultimately, overall performance while you play. Additionally, enabling this feature also activates other advanced options, such as Auto HDR or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), if your display supports them.

Follow these Steps to enable optimization for windowed games and thus reduce input lag in Windows 11:

1. Click Start and go to Configuration.
2. Click on System - Screen - Graphics.
3. In default configuration, activate the switch for Optimizations for windowed games.
4. Reboot the game to apply the changes.

Activate game mode and disable animations and visual effects

Another performance option you should enable to reduce input lag in Windows 11 is Game Mode. As the name suggests, it's designed to Optimize your PC for gaming by disabling things in the backgroundThis way, available resources (RAM, GPU) are better utilized to enhance the gaming experience. Enabling Game Mode in Windows 11 is simple:

1. Click Start – Configuration.
2. In the left list, click on Games.
3. Now, click on the option Game mode.
4. Turn on the Game Mode switch and you're done.

Also, if your PC is modest, consider disable system animations and visual effectsYou might feel like you're going backwards, but you have to prioritize quality and fluidity. By disabling interface animations and shadows, you take the work off the GPU to reduce input lag in Windows 11. You can do it like this:

1. Go to Home – Configuration.
2. In the left list, click on Accessibility.
3. Click on Visual effects.
4. Turn off the switches for Transparency Effects and Animation Effects.

Disable vertical sync (V-Sync)

A very effective measure to reduce input lag in Windows 11 and play better is to disable vertical synchronization or V-Sync. This technology is used to prevent screen tearing, which occurs when the graph sends more fframes per second (FPS) than the monitor can display. To achieve this, vertical synchronization does two things:

• Syncs the game's FPS with the monitor's refresh rate. If the refresh rate is 60 Hz, for example, a maximum of 60 FPS is set.
• Prevents the GPU from generating new frames until the monitor is ready to display them.

Of course, The delay in frame delivery adds delay to the input signal from peripheralsIn other words, it increases input lag. But disabling it allows the GPU to send frames as quickly as possible, which improves peripheral responsiveness. So, how do you disable V-Sync to reduce input lag in Windows 11?

To do it, You have to enter the control panel of your graphics card application. If you have the NVIDIA app, go to Manage 3D Settings and, in the Global Settings tab, turn off the Vsync option. If you are an AMD user, open the AMD Adrenalin software and go to Graphics – Advanced, and disable Vsync.

Other recommendations to reduce input lag in Windows 11

As you can see, there's a lot you can do to reduce input lag in Windows 11 and play better. In addition to applying the suggestions mentioned above, don't forget to take advantage of your monitor's performance optionsIf it includes predefined profiles, such as a Game Mode and Overdrive (or Response Time), activate them and see how you do.

Finally, make sure you have a stable internet connection (Ethernet cable instead of Wifi), and to maintain the updated driversAll of this will help reduce input lag in Windows 11, giving you a sense of control back in every game.