Vista update addresses gaming

Microsoft has announced that it plans to release the first major update to its Windows Vista operating system early next year.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the Vista update should address virtual memory issues with certain games.

Specifically, many games use more virtual memory address space under Windows Vista than under Windows XP, with high-end graphics cards making the problem even worse. When these games cause the 2GB virtual memory limit to be exceeded, they can crash the user's computer.

"As developers harness the new graphics capabilities in Windows Vista, some changes in how Windows Vista manages video memory have resulted in sporadic issues in graphically taxing games with high-end video cards," a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz.

"Working closely with our hardware partners, we have developed a fix which is currently available online."

Microsoft published the fix on August 23 but classified it as a "hotfix," which means that it may still be undergoing testing and is not officially recommended unless a user is severely affected.

Although Microsoft is still evaluating which features will be included in Vista SP1, "the current plan is that it will include the update which addresses the potential virtual memory issues," said the spokesperson.

Microsoft plans to test Windows Vista SP1 among a smaller audience in a few weeks, with the aim of shipping the final product to computer manufacturers next year.

"We are currently targeting to deliver SP1 in Q1 2008, but we will collect customer feedback from our upcoming beta process before setting a final date. Quality is our most important factor when determining availability," the spokesperson said.