How to Completely Disable ‘VBS’ (Virtualization-Based Security) to Improve Gaming Performance in Windows 11

Windows 11 introduced a massive shift in operating system security by enabling Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Memory Integrity (Core Isolation) by default on all new installations. This system essentially runs your entire operating system inside a secure, hidden virtual machine, preventing malicious software from injecting code into high-level system processes.

While this provides enterprise-grade security against sophisticated malware, it introduces a severe performance penalty for PC gamers. VBS creates a layer of computational overhead that can reduce framerates (FPS) by up to 10% in CPU-intensive games. If you are building a dedicated gaming rig where every single frame matters, and you are confident in your own safe browsing habits, you can completely disable this virtualization security to reclaim your lost performance.

Disabling Memory Integrity (Core Isolation)

The first step is to turn off the specific feature that relies on VBS, known as Memory Integrity.

1. Click the Start button and type “Core Isolation” into the search bar.
2. Press Enter to open the Windows Security application directly to the Core Isolation settings page.
3. You will see a toggle switch labelled Memory integrity.
4. Click the switch to turn it Off.
5. You will likely receive a User Account Control (UAC) prompt asking for permission. Click Yes.
6. Windows will prompt you to restart your computer. Do not restart yet, as we need to disable the underlying VBS system entirely.

Disabling Virtualization-Based Security in the Registry

Even with Memory Integrity off, VBS may still run in the background. To completely kill the feature, you must edit the Windows Registry.

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialogue box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes if prompted by UAC.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path by expanding the folders on the left:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard
4. In the right-hand pane, look for a value named EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity.
5. Double-click on EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity.
6. Change the “Value data” from 1 to 0.
7. Click OK.
8. Close the Registry Editor and Restart your computer.

Upon rebooting, your computer will no longer run inside the secure virtualization envelope, granting your games direct, unhindered access to your CPU’s full processing power.