How to open games on Windows 10. Do I need to update now?

One of the newest operating systems, Windows 10, confidently occupies a leading position in terms of prevalence on home computers. The main reason is the free automatic update from older versions, which does not require user intervention, distribution kits or special knowledge. Many have already appreciated the convenience of the tenth version in work and web surfing. It's time to have fun and find out how to install games on Windows 10.

The mechanism will evaluate the performance of the equipment and determine its capabilities. There is one drawback to the game mode. Every other version of friendly games is safe to change the system until at least a few months after launch, when all the major bugs have been found and fixed, and there are also software availability issues. I hope they help you make this important decision! They returned to a form close to the classics or mixed with tiles. This doesn't change the fact that Tiles is faster, more convenient, and nicer than the previous interface.

Using installation files to install games on Windows 10

If your game is on a disk or flash drive, there should be a file called setup.exe or install.exe in its folder. If there are none, then find a file with the name of the game and the extension .exe or .msi. In most cases, all you need to do is run this file and answer a few questions to install the game and start playing.
When you download a game from the Internet (usually an online game client), there will be one file. Launch it. The operating system will warn you that programs downloaded from the Internet may be dangerous. Confirm the program if you are sure that the file does not pose a threat to your computer.

Installing games on Windows 10 from the Windows Store library

If there is an Internet connection, a computer running Windows 10 has access to the online library of Windows Store applications from Microsoft. It becomes possible to download many different applications for work, study, maintenance of the computer itself and, of course, games. Before downloading, you can study the ratings and reviews of other users, as well as see screenshots and detailed information.

How to add a game shortcut to your desktop

There is no easy answer to this question. It's also best for synthetic tests - if that's important to someone important. It's also a little less stable, but it can match it. In fact, the system is a copy of key things. The only thing that matters is the drivers. In theory, the transmission should be 100% fluid, in practice this is different.

A good change after driver problems. Basically it's faster than single frames. Older generation green cards cannot be considered asynchronous at all, and new ones in turn cannot be considered a replacement for queuing software. There's nothing special at this point, but the likes of Quantum Break or Forza Apex don't walk. It doesn't work either in functionality or appearance. Probably the hottest of all questions. Not everyone likes it.

Install games on Windows 10 using a Microsoft account

Purchasing a game for Windows 10

Progress in the field of personal computers is amazing! Relatively recently, computer games were sold on tape cassettes and required periodic copying to protect the tape from abrasion. I still remember the times when installing a game involved unpacking an archive split into several floppy disks. Now CDs have hopelessly sunk into oblivion, giving way to network technologies. Today, the global Internet allows you to choose, purchase and receive any game you like in a matter of minutes, find out what other players think about it and leave feedback, which will certainly reach the developer, allowing him to improve the product. On the other hand, the installation process is becoming easier and now anyone knows how to install games on Windows 10.

When answering the question about what games will run on Windows 10, you can safely answer: the same ones that came with previous versions, starting with XP. The fact is that the main set of API commands has not changed for more than 15 years, which means that a program that worked great in Windows 2000 will also work well in Windows 10.

Pirates will remain pirates even if they can download updates. Soon after the release it was already installed. These flawed decisions were a big threat. What once prevented copying of optical media and ultimately only got on the nerves of the original purchasers of the products, now provides a lock that cannot be missed without secrecy. Basically, we're talking about hundreds of classics that are no longer in order. It's just a drop in the ocean.

We live in a time of increasing virtualization of all computer services. You won't care about the beard if you pay for it in the future. Finally, one important point to explain. You are still missing the famous sticker code that is assigned to the computer.

There are no exceptions to this issue, except that occasionally you will have to run an application in compatibility mode, however, this will be required extremely rarely - you can easily use your new PC with Windows 10 for several years and never come across such an application.

So, it’s worth noting right away that almost any game from previous years will run on Windows 10. This is especially true for modern high-quality games that were fully functional on the seventh and eighth versions of Windows.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to play classic games like Quake and Wolfenstein 3D, as the system doesn't have software capable of supporting older applications. But such restrictions are not uncommon, because back in 2009, with the release of 64-bit versions, these games could no longer be launched.

What games will work on Windows 10

As mentioned above, any modern games will run on Windows 10. But there are some disadvantages here, for example, small errors when launching 2015 applications. To completely prevent any errors, the developers have optimized some popular games. Below are several computer games that are already optimized for the new operating system and do not have any errors:

Portal 2
Dying Light
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Grand Theft Auto V
Titanfall
Dark Souls
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Alien: Isolation
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Now you know what games will run on Windows 10. At the moment, more and more new games are being released exclusively for Windows 10. If you install the latest games on older versions of the OS, then endless crashes and errors cannot be avoided.

Of particular note are such modern games as: Asphalt and Age Of Empires: Siege Defense. Over time, the list of games and programs that cannot run on older OSes will only increase, so it is better to switch to Windows 10 in advance and save yourself from impending optimization problems.

Compatibility mode for games on Windows 10

To make the appropriate settings, follow a few simple steps:

Right-click on the file that launches the application or game.
Select “Properties” from the menu.
Move to the “Compatibility” tab.
You can trust the system to do the dirty work by clicking the “Run troubleshooter” button. After certain manipulations, the utility will offer the optimal solution. You will need to accept the changes and check the result.
You can do all this manually by selecting the desired mode from the list. For example, if the game worked perfectly on Windows XP with the third service pack, then you need to specify this option and save the new settings.
For very “ancient” games, you can use the “Low Color Mode”. Sometimes it really helps.
If the image is stretched to fill the entire screen and does not look very good, then you can try the function of disabling scaling for a high-resolution monitor.

Very soon it will be exactly one year since graduation Windows 10- current operating system Microsoft, with which the company's gaming department pins its future. And, I must say, for good reason - according to last month, Windows 10 is installed on three hundred million devices, and in March Phil Spencer, head Xbox- a division of Microsoft, reported that 40% of OS owners run games on it. In addition, Windows 10 is the most popular operating system on Steam - it was chosen by 39.7% of service users.

We have written about the “ten” more than once - look for analytical materials on the website and in the magazine. Let us briefly recall its key features: the good old “Start” has returned to its rightful place; standard software has been improved - from mail to photo viewer; the interface was adapted for tablets; minimalist, neat and nimble Edge replaced grandpa Explorer; virtual desktops appeared...

After the release of Windows 10, Windows 7 remained the most popular OS among Steam users until April 2016. In the confrontation with the new operating system, it lasted only eight months.

We could go on for a long time, but the main thing here is this - Microsoft has relied on cross-platform, since its release it has positioned Windows 10 as a universal system for computers, phones and tablets. With time Universal Windows Platform has acquired more obvious outlines, and the “friendship” between Windows 10 and Xbox One has strengthened much more than was stated at the start (at that time the strange idea of streaming games from a console to a computer was voiced).

In this article we will tell you what the arrival of Windows 10 meant for the gaming industry and whether it is worth installing this operating system at all. There is little time left to “think” - from July 29, you will have to pay $119 to switch from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 to the current system.

Tandem Windows 10 and Xbox

As we already said, only in March the Redmond giant opened up about the Universal Windows Platform. According to Microsoft, PCs running Windows 10 should eventually merge with Xbox One into a coherent ecosystem. On both platforms, as well as on smartphones and tablets, it will be possible to run Universal Windows Applications.

The benefit for developers is obvious - they no longer need to make significant changes to the program code to make them work on PC, phone and console. The reality is still harsh: for example, Instagram only supports Windows 10 Mobile, and Facebook only supports Windows 10 desktop. However, as Microsoft assures, sooner or later, thanks to UWP, the interface of the most popular applications will be unified for different types of devices .

Microsoft eventually abandoned the TV DVR feature for Xbox One. Its essence is simple - record TV broadcasts on the external hard drive of the set-top box. Right now, Microsoft is focused on games for Xbox One and Windows 10 rather than additional multimedia features.

Let's leave cell phones aside and move on to more serious things. UWP will allow the Redmond giant to update its console more often, while its latest variations will be compatible with older software. Phil Spencer has already expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that generations of consoles are slowing down technical progress. And if you separate the hardware and software components of the Xbox One and its successors, then you can keep up with the times.

So there is nothing to be surprised by the news about the compact Xbox One S (40% smaller and an order of magnitude cheaper) and powerful Xbox Scorpio with 4K support and Oculus Rift. It sounds tempting - console hardware is updated at a speed familiar to the smartphone market, and backward compatibility remains in effect.

All this, as you might guess, is being done with an eye to merging Xbox and PC. Cross-platform games will be available on both platforms after a one-time purchase, and shared multiplayer will bring the community together. Plans are quickly being implemented: one of the first projects with cross-platform multiplayer was Rocket League.

No one is complaining about cross-platform multiplayer in Rocket League. In the near future, the function will be implemented in another fifty projects.

Ex-exclusives

To please the new policy, Microsoft transferred from Xbox One to PC running Windows 10 Killer Instinct and, released simultaneously on computers and consoles, announced for both platforms Halo Wars 2 And ReCore and confirmed that future Forza will not be exclusive. After E3 it became clear that the same thing was expected Scalebound, Crackdown 3 , Forza Horizon 3, and, it seems, all the games that Microsoft announces.

It would seem that there are only advantages for PC owners - firstly, they get blockbusters from Xbox One without delay, and secondly, ideally, cross-buy assumes that you won’t have to pay for both copies of the game (again, at E3 Redmond , that having started the game on one platform, nothing prevents you from continuing from the same place on another), and thirdly, DirectX 12, supported only by the “ten”, promises a significant increase in application performance. In fact, the potential of DirectX 12 has not yet been fully revealed, and the Windows Store scares away those who are accustomed to the functionality of Steam, GOG or Origin, honed over the years.

Some people believe that Phil Spencer failed the war against PS4. But he still has a lot of trump cards in stock, and most importantly, Spencer has Windows 10 on his side.

Let's say, at the release, the PC version of Quantum Break (it was supposed to show the world the power of DirectX 12) was disappointing with poor optimization, which caused it to slow down on machines with the latest processors, video cards and 16 GB of RAM. In theory, DirectX 12 promises high performance and smooth images while reducing system requirements by providing developers with low-level access to the hardware. Meanwhile, the requirements for the filling, judging by Quantum Break, Forza Motorsport 6: Apex and even Gears of War: Ultimate Edition cannot be called forgiving.

The Windows Store has yet to gain strength. This applies to both small things (sluggish download speed from the network) and serious mistakes (weak social functionality). And the games bought here have enough technical problems - take the same Quantum Break.

Let's give Microsoft credit - it is slowly correcting the shortcomings of UWP. For example, a recent Windows 10 update introduced support NVIDIA G-Sync And AMD FreeSync(both technologies synchronize the monitor refresh rate with the number of frames produced by the video card), and 60 frames per second is no longer the ceiling for UWP applications.

The third season of Killer Instinct, released simultaneously on PC and Xbox One, became a kind of response from Microsoft to Sony, which supported the development of Street Fighter 5 for PC and PS4.

Hidden threat

Microsoft's initiatives were met with a barrage of criticism, including from former partners and colleagues. No, we're not talking about Gabe Newell, who anathematized Windows 8. Tim Sweeney, CEO Epic Games, published an open letter in early spring in which he called UWP a closed platform. The fact that UWP games are only distributed through the Windows Store hurts both ordinary consumers and large publishers. The picture is gloomy: between the player and the developers there is an eternal intermediary who retains a considerable percentage of sales.

Doesn't remind you of anything? To us - the situation with Nintendo from the eighties and nineties, when the company, after the collapse of the video game industry, took tough measures, trying to protect the market from re-saturation, and itself from bankruptcy, forced developers to buy cartridges from it and controlled the circulation of games.

What is it that runs Microsoft? Probably the desire to create as much excitement around the Windows Store as possible, manipulating with tempting slogans about the breakthrough power of DirectX 12 and a promising PC-Xbox hybrid that can satisfy the most demanding player.

Microsoft did not release Halo 5: Guardians on PC. Only as an exception did I agree to send the Forge editor to Windows 10 to create levels. Of course, it will be free.

Kevin Gallo, general manager of Microsoft, responded to Sweeney's emotional statement: they say, Windows was and remains an open system. And Phil Spencer said the same thing about the Xbox. The Epic boss questioned Spencer's words: to get to Xbox, you need to send a game concept to Microsoft and get approval, where is the “openness” in that?..

Because of UWP, we have no doubt, a lot more copies will be broken. But what the American corporation announced at a recent conference Build, makes you take a closer look at the platform. In the coming weeks, Windows 10 will receive a major update that will expand the functionality of the Xbox One: for example, the console will learn to play music in the background and make friends with Cortana. And by the end of the year Xbox Marketplace will merge with the Windows Store.

Microsoft is determined to seriously compete for the audience at the same time as Steam and Sony. The focus on online sales and promotion of Windows PC should not be surprising - over the past year, according to the company Superdata, digital versions of games have earned thirty-two billion dollars on PCs, twenty-five billion on phones, and just four billion on consoles.

The American corporation, apparently, intends not to disperse itself anymore between platforms and give up on exclusives. Its goal is a unified ecosystem that allows you to run one application on either Xbox or HoloLens. And the cornerstone of UWP is, of course, Windows 10.

You still have about a month to decide who to support.

In the article: which games will run on Windows 10 without errors, slowdowns, lags and glitches; how to run old games on Windows 10, is it possible to play pirated games on Windows 10

Games released in 2015 and younger will run on Windows 10

All modern games will run on Windows 10, that is, those client games, which were created from 2015 to this day or older ones for which the developer has provided updates.

If the game is constantly updated, then it will run on Windows 10. After all, the developers are more interested in the game being played on the latest version of Windows.

This rule does not apply to so-called browser games that run on any version of Windows, as long as a browser is installed on the computer.

Browser games (games without downloading) do not require installation, downloading a client or other difficulties. To start playing, you just need to register on the toy’s website.

List of games that will definitely run on Windows 10

Among the clients that will definitely work on Windows 10 are:

Crossout
World of Warships
World of Tanks
Blade and Soul
Metal Gear Solid V
Titanfall
Grand Theft Auto V
The Witcher 3
Titanfall
Neverwinter Online
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
TERA Online

Other games for Windows 10 free download you can follow the link. On this page you will find reviews of such game projects, download links, guides, knowledge bases, etc. and so on.

Games released before 2015 will also run on Windows 10

If the games came out before 2015, no need to worry. Install this game and run it. In most cases, even old games will run on Windows 10 without lags or stutters. If the game doesn’t work, then run it in compatibility mode with the version of Windows that it definitely ran well on. (If you have experience playing this toy on older versions of Windows).

If you don’t have such experience, then find information about the system requirements of the game and see what operating system it was created for.

Learned? Now we know everything we need. Let's launch the game in compatibility mode.

Compatibility mode for games on Windows 10

Right-click on the game shortcut in the window that appears and select "Properties".

Attention!

Since all my games run in normal Windows mode, I will experiment with the old version of the application Hotspot Shield, which doesn’t change the essence. By the way, all the recommendations below can be successfully applied when running old programs, not just games.

Go to the tab "Compatibility".

1. Automatic start

Click “Run the troubleshooter.” Let the system itself find the optimal solution for launching the game.

2. Manual mode.

In manual mode, check the box opposite "Run the program in compatibility mode for:"

In the list that appears, select the operating system on which the game ran without brakes (or the system that the developer stated in the system requirements of the toy). Just in case, check the box next to “Run as administrator” (to be sure that you have all the rights from your account on Windows 10 to run the game. Click “Apply” and “Okay.”

All. The game will definitely run on Windows 10 without any lags or errors.

Is it possible to play pirated games on Windows 10

You can play pirated games on Windows 10. It doesn’t block anything, the main thing when installing such a game is to do everything according to the instructions that came with it. (Most distributors of pirated computer games write instructions on how to generate a key, how to enter it, etc., for proper installation). Buy licensed games, they will definitely run on Windows 10.

On July 29, the new Windows 10 operating system became available for free download to owners of the seventh and eighth versions of Windows. You can read about how to download it. However, due to the great interest in Windows 10, the update may be delayed for several days - Microsoft servers simply do not have time to process all requests.

But even owners of pirated copies of Windows 7 and 8, of which there are still a lot in Russia, can legally upgrade to Windows 10. It was difficult to say whether this happened by accident or intentionally. But there is a chance that Microsoft will disable this feature in the future.

Many players will probably want to install a new operating system: some could not get used to the inconvenient Windows 8, while others just want to change the well-deserved Windows 7 to something newer.

How much does Windows 10 cost?

For Windows 7 and 8 users, upgrading to version 10 is absolutely free. However, the generous offer will only be valid for a year. If you want to upgrade later or just buy a “fresh” Windows 10, you will have to pay. Now Windows 10 is sold at a price of 7,900 rubles for the home version and 13,900 for the professional version. Third-party stores sell it cheaper, but here you need to carefully check that they are offering you Windows 10, and not the “stale” Windows 8 and 7 with the ability to update in a limited time.

Do I need to update now?

There shouldn't be any problems. The current version of Windows 10 is quite stable - it is compatible with almost all old programs and hardware (we only know about problems with AutoCAD and some Creative sound cards). So if you want to try something new or are simply tired of the terrible Windows 8 interface, feel free to upgrade. But if you later want to return to the old version of Windows, you can do this only in the first month after the update.

Will my old games still run?

We've run Grand Theft Auto 5, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, The Witcher 3, Mortal Kombat X, Armored Warfare, World of Warships, Breach & Clear: Deadline and even Half-Life 2 on Windows 10 - and they all ran like crazy. at least no worse than on previous versions of Windows.

There were no problems with programs for work and communication, as well as with drivers for hardware. Of course, in the first weeks, difficulties with some projects are theoretically possible (we previously mentioned AutoCAD), but given the interest in the new operating system, the developers will release fixes very quickly.

Is it true that games will run faster?

Microsoft and some game developers claim that Windows 10 will improve game performance by 50% - and not even on the latest graphics cards. All thanks to the new DirectX 12 graphical interface, which will allow game developers to manage the resources of the video card and processor directly, bypassing additional software “barriers”. This feature has existed on consoles for decades, thanks to which they produce very high-quality graphics with fairly inexpensive hardware.

It will be possible to fully evaluate the effect of the new graphical interface in at least a few months, when developers will be able to fully understand DirectX 12. But it is already clear that some games run faster on Windows 10 right now. For example, here is a video from Project CARS, where Windows 10 gives from 10 to 20% increase in speed.

On a computer with Windows 10, you can play games from the Xbox One - however, only if you already have this console and it is within the range of the same Wi-Fi network as the computer. The power of the computer does not really matter, because the game will still run on the console - your computer will only receive the image via Wi-Fi. You can control the game using an Xbox One gamepad connected to your computer. This is convenient if the TV to which the console is connected is used by another family member.

All games now have their own application for recording videos or screenshots - very fast and with simple controls. Also, Windows 10 has finally learned to recognize gamepads from Xbox One without searching for and installing additional drivers.

Among the non-gaming functions, we note the excellent integration with OneDrive - a cloud service where you can store your files and access them from anywhere there is an Internet connection. In Windows 10, OneDrive looks like a separate folder where files are saved both on your computer and online. Initially, 15 gigabytes of space are available, but there are different ways to increase this figure - both free and paid.

Windows 10 is a fast and stable operating system with a familiar and user-friendly interface, as well as a huge number of gaming features. This is also the first Microsoft product in many years to which there are almost no complaints even at the start. It seems that we can gradually begin to forget about the nightmare called Windows 8.