Windows 10 has a cool feature that lets you stream console games to the PC over Wi-Fi. Yes, you can control Xbox games through your PC using the magic of wireless internet.
But for some unknown reason, Microsoft restricts the quality of streaming. Even when you set the stream to the highest quality level, Microsoft will still restrict your quality.
What’s up with that?
Well, one Reddit user wasn’t going to wait around for Microsoft to fix their problem. So that person created a workaround that lets you stream at almost the same level as native console play. It’s a significant difference.
Here’s the step by step guide to unlocking that “Very High” quality streaming mode, as discovered by Reddit user OomaThurman.
Step 1) Open File Explorer and head to C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages
Step 2) Find the folder that begins with “Microsoft.Xbox.App” and open the “LocalState” folder.
Step 3) Open the “userconsoledata” file in Notepad. (Right click, choose “Open With,” and select NotePad from the list.)
Step 4) Look for the text that reads “<IsInternalPreview>false” and change the value “false” to “true”
Step 5) Save and close the file.
Step 6) After you start streaming, click the stream icon in the top-right corner, and a “very high” option should be there.

Why Would Microsoft Do Such a Thing?

Users are a little confused about why Microsoft would restrict access to a Very High settings mode that was already with Windows 10.

The answer likely comes down to bug testing and tweaking: Microsoft didn’t want users to turn on the highest settings mode, only to encounter countless problems.
Either that, or Microsoft was making sure gamers didn’t make their roommates or parents too mad by stealing all the home’s bandwidth.
If you’re curious about how much of a difference this mode makes, then EuroGamer.net recently posted screenshot comparisons. It’s significant.