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After kind of giving up on integrating Windows Copilot, now Microsoft may be kind of giving up on the Windows Copilot key, too. In the latest build (Build 22635.4225) to the Beta Channel of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program, there’s a new control that allows you to remap your laptop’s Copilot key. Instead of launching Copilot, you can program it to launch another app instead, via a new control insider the Windows Settings menu > Personalization > Text Input setting. The “Customize Copilot key on keyboard” setting is significant in two ways: first, it’s being rolled out in the Beta Channel, a good sign that it will be pushed to the Release Channel and then to ordinary PCs before long. Also, you don’t have to configure Windows to ask for the latest changes as soon as possible. Both indicate that Microsoft has pretty much settled upon this option. For a time, Copilot was integrated into the Windows 11 operating system. Now, it’s an app, though it’s still front and center on your desktop. Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Still, giving users the ability to reconfigure the Copilot key doesn’t speak too highly of the value Microsoft is placing on Copilot itself, or on the key itself. After all, Microsoft’s plans to add a Copilot key were released just nine months ago! Is Copilot evolving away from a general-purpose application into a more specialized tool for businesses? Read...

Yesterday, Microsoft announced in a blog post that Windows App has finally been released to the general public and is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and web browsers. In a nutshell, Windows App is a “unified experience” that lets you securely connect to a Windows device from any other supported device. It’s a simplified way to connect via Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, or Microsoft Dev Box. That means on most platforms you’ll end up replacing whatever remote desktop app you’re using with Windows App. But that’s not all it does. Windows App a few more tricks up its sleeve that makes it a nifty tool for both IT professionals and home users. What can Windows App do? Windows App is ultimately aiming to be a one-stop shop for efficiently managing the content on your connected Windows devices. According to Microsoft, it’s also fitted with advanced security functions so you can work securely from any location and still have peace of mind. In the blog post, Microsoft shared one user’s experience with Windows App and what they thought of it: “We’ve been using Windows App through the private and public previews, and we were given the opportunity to submit recommendations for feature enhancements to ensure it has the functionality we need. During our recent go live, we received great feedback: it provides seamless access from any device and massively improves our end-user experience.” Suppose you’re commuting to work or traveling on vacation but you need to read or edit important documents on your PC. Windows App makes it easy to remote in and access those files in a snap. Other features include: Unified access to multiple Windows services from one interface (including cloud PCs, virtual desktops, and local PCs) Multi-factor authentication Customizable start screens Support for multiple monitors and dynamic resolutions USB redirection Optimizations for Microsoft Teams Easy account switching via Microsoft Entra ID Relayed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Shortpath In-app feedback function How to download Windows App Windows App is now available via the respective app stores for each device platform. Microsoft recommends that IT administrators use the “Get started with Windows App” documentation to update internal processes and guide users and helpdesk teams. If you want to use the app privately and have a Windows device, you can simply download Windows App on the Microsoft Store. You can also access Windows App directly in a web browser for a seamless connection without having to install any software. Windows App is also available on the Google Play Store and on the Apple App Store. Note that Windows App can only be used with Microsoft accounts and suitable cloud services, and not with third-party services. Further reading: The best remote desktop software, compared Read...

Console gamers have a leg up on PC gamers when it comes to ease of use. Turn it on and your settings are mostly chosen for you with little fuss. From game to game, the overall experience is standardized — no need to worry if your PlayStation 5 can handle the latest releases. As PC gamers, we may have more options, but that comes at a cost. There’s a real learning curve when it comes to configuring hardware and software to run games optimally, and developers have to play it safer as they’re forced to support a much wider range of specs. A game might not run on a given CPU and GPU combo, or if it does, it may run poorly. Enter the Nvidia App, the successor that combines both Nvidia Control Panel and Nvidia GeForce Experience into one cohesive tool that simplifies configuration options for GeForce gamers. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG If you’re the kind of gamer who frequently dives into game settings and makes tweaks to boost performance, the Nvidia App is for you. You can fine tune basic settings (like resolution and graphical fidelity) up to more advanced options (like Nvidia’s DLSS). Related: What is Nvidia’s DLSS 3? Explained Of course, you’ll need an Nvidia GPU to make use of the Nvidia App. And depending on the age and model of your GPU, certain features may or may not be available to you. Even so, the Nvidia App really helps to streamline the PC gaming experience. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG The most interesting part of the Nvidia, at least for me, is the unified GPU control center that offers unparalleled control over GPU settings. As of this writing, the Nvidia App is still in beta. If you want to try it, just hop over to the download page and install it for free. It’s eventually replacing GeForce Experience, so you might as well get a head start! Keep reading for some of the most crucial and impactful Nvidia App settings you need to know about, which are worth tweaking for the best PC gaming experience available to GeForce gamers right now. Tip #1: Auto-optimize in-game settings One cool feature of the Nvidia App is that it can analyze your PC hardware (e.g., CPU, GPU, display), then tap into the cloud to determine the best in-game settings for your system. Even if you’re tech-savvy, it’s a great way to establish a starting point for each game. In the Graphics section of the Nvidia App, scan your library of installed games to automatically populate the list. Then, select the game you want to optimize and click the Optimize button at the top right: If I click the Optimize button, the Nvidia App will optimize Lies of P for me. If I click the Optimize button, the Nvidia App will optimize Lies of P for me.Thiago Trevisan / IDG If I click the Optimize button, the Nvidia App will optimize Lies of P for me.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Once a game has been optimized, you’ll be shown a convenient slider that lets you adjust how you want the game tweaked, with a spectrum starting with Performance on the left and Quality on the right. It’s a lot like how consoles have dual modes for games, except here you can achieve the same but with greater granularity. Let me show you a real example using Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. After optimizing, I moved my slider to the Quality end. (For context, my test PC is running an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with games at 4K resolution.) Here it is: Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG The Nvidia App automatically chose the settings and options that I would have chosen if I wanted to maximize Quality to the extent supported by my system hardware. For example, it set the graphics to Very High. (In other games, it might’ve chosen Ultra if available.) It also turned on Nvidia RTX: DLSS Frame Generation, but went with Nvidia’s DLAA for anti-aliasing instead of DLSS. It also opted to enable Nvidia Reflex for lower latency coupled with the frame generation. Related: How Nvidia Reflex can make you better at esports The resulting frame rates hit well above 60 FPS for this game, averaging close to 80 FPS with these settings. Overall gameplay was smooth and graphics looked gorgeous. The only manual tweak I even considered making was to switch out DLAA for extra frames. Related: What is Nvidia’s DLAA and how does it work? The Nvidia App also provides a neat visual on the optimization page that shows current values and a preview of recommended values. This can help you fine tune the slider to reach a balanced set of settings that work for you. While not every game is supported, Nvidia is regularly updating the app with more gaming profiles. Tip #2: RTX HDR and Dynamic Vibrance The Global Settings panel in the Nvidia App The Global Settings panel in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG The Global Settings panel in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Individual in-game settings are great, but Nvidia also offers some global settings that apply to all your games. Found in the same “Graphics” section of the app, click the Global Settings tab. Here you can enable features like RTX Dynamic Vibrance, which uses AI to increase image clarity. It works differently depending on which game you’re in, but it always aims to give you a more vibrant look without distorting the colors too much. RTX Dynamic Vibrance description in the Nvidia App RTX Dynamic Vibrance description in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG RTX Dynamic Vibrance description in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Another option you can enable in the Global Settings panel is RTX HDR, which can add HDR to games that don’t normally support it. Windows 11 has a built-in feature called Auto HDR, but it can be hit or miss. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s RTX HDR uses AI to apply an HDR filter to any and all games (and it’s compatible with DirectX and Vulkan). RTX HDR settings in the Nvidia App RTX HDR settings in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG RTX HDR settings in the Nvidia AppThiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG What I recommend is to enable HDR in Windows settings but leave Auto HDR disabled. (Those two things are different.) You’ll also want to disable in-game HDR settings so that RTX HDR can do its job. You may have to further tweak and try different combinations to get the best results, but it’s nice to have additional options with RTX HDR. Tip #3: Use the performance overlay A performance overlay is an essential tool that should be in every gamer’s toolbox. Back when MSI Afterburner was more active, it was the go-to performance overlay app — but now that it has fallen by the wayside with a recent lack of updates, the Nvidia App can help fill the gap. The Nvidia App has its own integrated performance overlay feature that can help you keep tabs on what’s going on as you game. With it enabled, you can analyze in real time how certain tweaks and changes to settings actually affect in-game FPS performance. The performance overlay feature in the Nvidia App The performance overlay feature in the Nvidia AppNvidia The performance overlay feature in the Nvidia AppNvidia Nvidia It can also be helpful for monitoring your system health and temperatures. For example, if a ray tracing setting has your GPU running wild, you may want to tweak it and see what happens to performance. Similarly, toggling resolution scalers (like DLSS) can also have an impact on how much your CPU is taxed. All of this can even help inform whether parts of your PC are in need of being upgraded. To turn on the performance overlay in the Nvidia App, simply press the Alt + R hotkey. (Keep in mind that the Alt + Z hotkey opens other overlay features, such as ShadowPlay discussed below in the next tip.) With the performance overlay active, you can choose which statistics are shown during gameplay. For example, you can opt to have only the frame rate, GPU utilization, temperature, and clock displayed. More technical details, like GPU voltage, could also be helpful to know. Related: How to benchmark your GPU Average PC latency and other latency-related metrics can be instrumental for getting a glimpse of how your system is performing, and it could show you whether you’d benefit from global settings like Low Latency Mode. Nvidia’s other performance-tracking app: FrameView Nvidia’s other performance-tracking app: FrameViewNvidia Nvidia’s other performance-tracking app: FrameViewNvidia Nvidia Note that Nvidia also has another app called FrameView, which can be downloaded separately and integrated into the Nvidia App. FrameView also provides details on system metrics and average frame rates. This combination of FrameView and Nvidia App can be helpful when playing in different areas of certain games, to see the impact on hardware performance when a game doesn’t have a built-in benchmark. Tip #4: Record and stream gameplay With the Nvidia App, you don’t need a separate third-party program to record your gameplay or take screenshots. To do so, bring up the integrated in-game overlay using the Alt + Z hotkey. Called Nvidia ShadowPlay, it lets you capture 8K screenshots, record GIFs, and even create an instant replay reel based on the last 30 seconds of gameplay. Video recording can go as high as 8K at 30 FPS with HDR (with more standard resolutions able to go even higher). The ShadowPlay overlay in the Nvidia App The ShadowPlay overlay in the Nvidia AppNvidia The ShadowPlay overlay in the Nvidia AppNvidia Nvidia These are very useful features, not just for recording and sharing gameplay with viewers and/or friends, but also for analyzing graphics and performance when you review the footage later. There’s also a Broadcast feature in the Nvidia App that allows you to livestream gameplay to popular platforms including Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live. Camera and custom graphic overlays are possible with Broadcast, and it’s quick to get up and running once you’re acquainted. Of course, you can always choose to use those other third-party streaming apps that have a lot of the same (or more) functionality, but it’s nice to know this is a viable option in the Nvidia App. Tip #5: Manage your drivers Nvidia’s previous GeForce Experience was meant to be an easier way to update and manage your drivers. The Nvidia App, as its replacement, aims to do a lot of the same except better. You can choose between Game Ready or Studio drivers, and the Nvidia App will automatically populate when driver updates are available. (GPU driver updates often contain myriad bug fixes, new features, and general improvements, so it’s smart to keep on top of them.) Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG One key improvement in the Nvidia App is more driver information readily available in the app itself. For example, you can see details regarding things like what was changed and which games were affected. General fixes, even ones addressing the Nvidia App itself, are also listed under the “What’s Fixed” area of the Drivers section. Driver management in the Nvidia App even lets you know when a new optimization profile is available for a particular game, which is great if you’re waiting to optimize something in your library. The most saliant information, though, might just be the “Game Ready For” area that shows the newest titles that just got their Game Ready drivers. All in all, there’s a lot worth exploring in the Nvidia App even though it’s still technically in beta. If you haven’t jumped on it yet, consider giving it a go — it’s already packed with features that’ll improve your gaming. Further reading: Settings every PC gamer should tweak ASAP Read...

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The other day, we reported that Microsoft has made good on its promise to speed up Windows 11 apps that have been suffering from performance issues. That fix is currently in testing and should roll out soon. But in another positive move, Microsoft is showing that they’re paying attention to performance on a broader scale — in this case, we’re about to see performance improvements to the Microsoft Store. According to the company’s dev blog, Microsoft is introducing a new path for app developers to migrate their UWP apps to .NET 9 and Native AOT (which stands for Ahead-of-Time compilation). Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro This is great news as app developers can now modernize their UWP apps in two phases rather than with one monolithic change. This particular path makes it possible to get apps working on .NET 9 and Native AOT, which should make it easier to later switch to WinUI 3. According to the post, apps on .NET 9 and Native AOT have better performance than UWP apps on .NET Native, and Native AOT is actively being improved over time. As such, this is a change that should be pursued by most UWP app developers at some point. Interestingly, the dev blog post also mentions in a side note that the Microsoft Store is going through this exact migration. The Microsoft Store is currently being switched over to .NET 9 and we can expect to see a new version of the app running on Native AOT “in the near future.” Of course, when that happens, it will most likely roll out to Windows Insiders first before reaching the general public. Further reading: Should you become a Windows Insider? The pros, cons, and what you need to know Read...