Microsoft's Known Issues documentation for Windows 11 (open in new tab) version 22H2 has been updated to include "below expected performance in some games." Specifically, affected games are experiencing stuttering and significant frame rate drops, and some users have also reported screen tearing. Microsoft states that "affected games and apps inadvertently enable GPU performance debugging features that consumers are not intended to use."

In other words, this is a Windows 11 feature intended to be used by developers to optimize games, and for some reason games enter this mode independently of user input. This problem exists in version 22H2, but unless there is a clear graphical glitch like this and other potential causes have been ruled out, we should not rush to roll back the update. I have had 22H2 installed since the end of September and have not encountered anything like what has been reported by members of Windows Central (opens in new tab) or the PC gaming subreddit (opens in new tab).

If you are experiencing issues like sudden frame rate drops that occur independently of intense on-screen action, Microsoft recommends "updating your games and game-related apps to the latest version available. Alternatively, you can revert to an earlier version of Windows 11 by going to System Settings, scrolling down to "Recovery" and selecting the option to roll back updates.

This option disappears after a certain period of time after the system has been updated. We do not know exactly how long, but similar rollback options offered by Microsoft in the past had a 10-day limit. If you are already out of the menu-based recovery window, the situation is a bit trickier. You will either have to revert to a recovery image (if you have the foresight to create one) or do a clean install of Windows.

This is not an ideal situation, but it is not uncommon in PC gaming, where you can expect a certain amount of plugging and unplugging of things here and there (both literally and figuratively). Hopefully Microsoft will have an official fix for this soon.