Latest Intel graphics drivers can automatically configure optimum game settings

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Now it's easier to dial in the perfect settings with Intel's integrated graphics.

Relying on integrated graphics to power PC games can be a tricky prospect, especially when it comes to tweaking your settings for the perfect balance between performance and fidelity. Intel is looking to ease that process a bit with the latest update to its integrated graphics drivers, which can now automatically optimize settings for a number of games to eke out the best performance (via PCWorld).

The feature comes as part of the Graphics Control Panel in version 15.65 of Intel's drivers, and it works with Intel graphics on sixth-generation Core processors and newer, including the recently announced eighth-generation Core chips with Radeon graphics. Intel stresses that the automatic optimization feature is still in beta and it is currently limited to a specific set of games depending on the integrated graphics on your chip. To start, the feature works across all compatible Intel hardware for the following games:

  • Battlefield 1
  • Battlefield 4
  • American Truck Simulator
  • Call of Duty WWII
  • Destiny 2
  • DOTA 2
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • League of Legends
  • Overwatch
  • World of Tanks

If you have an Intel chip with HD Graphics 620 or higher, the feature currently works with the following:

  • Fortnite: Battle Royale
  • They Are Billions
  • Lost Sphear
  • Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
  • Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age HD
  • OK KO: Let's Play Heroes
  • Subnautica
  • Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ

Finally, chips with Intel's Iris Pro graphics support the feature with Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, and Metal Gear Survive. If your favorite games aren't currently included, Intel promises more will be added in the future. You can get started with the automatic optimizations by heading clicking the "Gaming" icon in Intel's Graphics Control Panel.

Most gamers likely have a dedicated graphics card in their gaming rigs, but it's good to see Intel making efforts to ease the process of using its integrated graphics for gaming. For more, you can download the latest drivers and see the full list of changes alongside Intel's full release notes.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

13 Comments
  • Easy. All settings on low and resolution 1280x720
  • Lol, that's what I was gonna say
  • Dammit, me too! It's not original, but it's accurate.
  • You say that but I've had games running at the desktop resolution with all settings on High with no issues whatsoever on my Surface Pro 4. Intel graphics have come a long way.
  • Yes, I'll totally play GTA V on my i7's iGPU. Instead of optimizing the new games, they should go for the older games, the ones that run on Intel by default. Civilization V, Minecraft, this sort of things. 99% of people who want to play high end games have a dedicated GPU - why bother?
  • I think they should be fixing Spectre and Meltdown instead.
  • This would be cool and all if Microsoft would bother updating the driver on Surface Pro 4. Still stuck to March 2017 version.
  • Is Surface Pro 4 i5 a 620 or a 520 ?
  • 515/520/540. They're mostly the same thing anyway, the GPUs in Skylake vs Kaby Lake.
  • It's a 520
  • Sounds like they're taking a crack at GeForce experience
  • Are these integrated graphics good enough for gaming then? What's the equivalent in gpu terms? A 1050?
  • A 1050 is better than practically any iGPU out there. If you have a 1050 you would never use intel or Radeon iGPU for gaming. You’d use the 1050, always. The Intel is nice for media editing, though, to save power. Their video encoder (Quick Sync) is really good, and amazingly fast.