Nvidia prepares Windows 11 for gamers with official GPU drivers
New OS coming along nicely
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Windows 11has taken an important leap forward for PC gamers, withNvidiareleasing official drivers for the upcomingoperating system.
WhileWindows 11won’t be officially released until later this year (most rumorspoint to an October launch), you candownload and install an early version of Windows 11already to help out with testing.
So, there are already a decent amount of people using Windows 11, which means official driver support will help improve the experience for anyone helping to test the operating system.
It will also give Nvidia andMicrosoftearly information about any potential issues with the drivers, so when Windows 11 officially releases, fully working drivers should be available on day one.
Graphical improvements
Accordingto Windows Latest, people using Windows 11 who have installed the driver have already seen improvements in the operating system.
To install the driver, useNvidia’s GeForce Experience app, which handily alerts you when there’s a new driver update.
Nvidia’s latest driver brings other improvements for PC gamers on bothWindows 10and Windows 11, includingDLSS support for Red Dead Redemption 2and improved compatibility with gaming monitors.
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Why this matters
Nvidia’s GeForce driver version 471.41 for Windows 11 (as well as Windows 10) followsIntel’s move to release official drivers for Windows 11 as well. Even if you don’t do a lot of gaming, having updated graphics drivers can improve the overall performance of your PC – especially with software that has lots of graphical effects, like Windows 11.
Microsoft is really pushing Windows 11 as an operating system that PC gamers will want to use, including features such asAuto HDR. This means it’s essential that Windows 11 is supported by drivers from the likes of Nvidia and Intel. We’ll likely seeAMDrelease Windows 11 drivers soon as well.
It also shows how well Windows 11 is coming along, and means we should be seeing the release relatively soon.
Microsoft has benefitted from most PC gamers running its Windows operating system, due to how many games support it compared to alternatives such as macOS and Linux.
However. Valve, the company behind the popularSteamstore, has been pushing for more Linux support in recent years, even going so far as creating its own Linux distribution, Steam OS, and Proton, a compatibility layer that allows Windows games to run in Linux.
Valve also recently announced theSteam Deck, a handheld gaming device that runs on Steam OS. If it is a success, it could show gamers that Linux is now a viable alternative to Windows – and that could be bad news for Microsoft.
Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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