How to Disable VBS and Memory Integrity for Better Gaming Performance in Windows 11

Published 2026-02-04 by TechNet New England

If you upgraded to Windows 11 and noticed your games running slightly worse than they did on Windows 10, Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Memory Integrity might be the reason. Independent benchmarks have shown that these features can reduce gaming performance by 5-10%, and in some cases even more.

These security features are enabled by default on most Windows 11 installations and on new PCs from major manufacturers. Here's what they do and how to turn them off if you prioritize gaming performance.

What Are VBS and Memory Integrity?

VBS (Virtualization-Based Security) uses hardware virtualization to create an isolated region of memory for security processes. Memory Integrity (also called HVCI, or Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity) runs inside that isolated environment and verifies that kernel-mode drivers and system code haven't been tampered with.

In plain English: Windows runs a mini virtual machine in the background to protect your system from certain types of malware. This is genuinely useful for security, but it comes at a performance cost because your CPU is constantly doing extra work to maintain that virtual environment.

Should You Disable It?

This is a trade-off between security and performance. Here's a simple way to think about it:

• If this is a dedicated gaming PC that doesn't handle sensitive business data, disabling VBS is a reasonable choice
• If this is a work computer or you handle sensitive information, leave it enabled
• If you have other security software (antivirus, EDR), you already have multiple layers of protection

How to Check If VBS Is Currently Enabled

1. Press Windows + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter
2. In System Information, scroll down to "Virtualization-based security"
3. If it says "Running," VBS is active. If it says "Not enabled," you're already set

How to Disable Memory Integrity (Easy Method)

This is the simplest change and often provides the most noticeable gaming improvement.

1. Open Windows Security (search for it in the Start Menu)
2. Click "Device security"
3. Click "Core isolation details"
4. Toggle "Memory integrity" to Off
5. Restart your computer

If the toggle is grayed out, it may be controlled by a group policy (common on managed work computers) or a driver incompatibility. In that case, try the registry method below.

How to Disable VBS Entirely (Registry Method)

This disables the entire Virtualization-Based Security framework, not just Memory Integrity.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard
3. Find EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity and set its value to 0
4. If the value doesn't exist, right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity, and set it to 0
5. Restart your computer

After restarting, run msinfo32 again to confirm VBS is no longer running.

What Kind of Performance Improvement to Expect

Results vary depending on your hardware and the games you play, but most users report:

• 3-7% improvement in average FPS in most games
• More noticeable improvements in CPU-bound scenarios (e.g., strategy games, large multiplayer matches)
• Slightly faster system boot times
• Better performance in emulators and virtual machines

If these steps don't resolve the issue, or if you'd like professional help, our team is here. Contact TechNet New England for IT support.