Which OS is ideal for gaming? Windows 7 or Windows eight? There’s a lot of heated debate on the subject, however the answer is relatively straightforward.
You will find few technical variations among the two operating systems exactly where games are concerned, and any game that may run on Windows 7 should run on Windows 8. See our Windows 8 critique.
As a consequence of the fact that Windows 8’s new ‘modern user interface’ supports apps, some casual games are accessible only on Windows eight because office professional plus 2010 retail pack can’t run these apps. See also: what's the difference between Windows eight & Windows 7?
If you’re choosing a new PC or laptop and cannot decide whether to go for Windows 7 or 8, then from a gaming perspective it doesn’t really matter which you choose. From a future-proofing point of view, Windows eight is the obvious choice. However, if you dislike the modern UI then bear in mind that the imminent Windows 8.1 update includes an option where you can bypass the new Start screen and boot straight for the old desktop.
You’ll probably want to install a replacement start menu, such as Start 8 or Pokki, due to the fact Windows eight.1 still doesn’t have a ‘proper’ start menu (unless you’re happy to use the Start screen, of course).
Performance-wise, we haven’t seen any distinction between Windows 7 and 8 when it comes to frame rates, so a given game will run at the same speed on the same hardware regardless of whether you have Windows 7 or Windows eight installed.
If you’re interested in the technical variations, Windows 7 has only partial support for Direct3D 11.1, which is part of DirectX. Windows 8 has full support.
However, while it’s possible that game developers will use some features that aren’t supported in Windows 7, it’s very unlikely that you’ll notice the distinction. The game will still run in Windows 7, but the graphics quality might be slightly reduced.