Microsoft Deploys Silent Patch to Fix Gaming Performance After April Updates

Microsoft is rolling out an update to Windows 10, but it’s not the kind of update you usually get. Arguably, it’s not even technically an update as we’ve understood them up to now. Microsoft is releasing a so-called Known Issue Rollback (KIR) to address problems with a pair of system updates from earlier this month. The company now confirms that a “small subset” of Windows 10 systems suffered poor game performance after the updates.

There are two different KB numbers referring to the same patch. If you’re on Windows 10 version 2004 (20H1), the patch is KB5001330, but if you’re still on Windows 10 versions 1930 or 1909, it’s KB5001337. When the update rolled out, gamers immediately noted a drop in frame rates and buggy v-sync. Running screen-sharing apps reportedly also caused a much greater than expected impact on system performance, even with high-end GPUs such as the RTX 3000 series.

Microsoft didn’t respond to the calls for action right away, but Nvidia started recommending that gamers uninstall the update and pause Windows Update until there was a real fix. Luckily, Microsoft didn’t drag its feet for long. The company has released the KIR, but it might take a day or so before it’s available on all devices. Microsoft only started using Known Issue Rollbacks recently, but they’re limited to non-security updates. A KIR allows Microsoft to push out a single, targeted fix that reverts to a previous behavior.

Microsoft confirms that KB5001330 and KB5001337 did indeed cause game performance issues. Apparently, most of those affected were using full-screen or borderless windows in games, which should be just about everyone. However, most of those affected were also using two or more monitors on the same device. That’s not most people, but I do have a dual-monitor setup, and I didn’t have any issues with this update.

If you were affected, there’s nothing you need to do in order to get the fix. That’s the nice thing about the KIR system. As long as your computer is online, it will see the fix and implement it. After your next reboot, the fix will be live.

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