Microsoft blames Windows gaming issues on RGB lighting devices

August 21, 2026 · BleepingComputer · Severity: MEDIUM

Microsoft says ongoing issues causing games to crash or fail to launch after installing the August 2026 Windows updates may be caused by peripherals with RGB lighting.

Key Takeaways

Microsoft has identified that RGB lighting control software is causing gaming performance issues and system crashes on Windows systems.
The interference is caused by driver conflicts between RGB lighting software and Windows gaming optimization features.
Users experiencing gaming issues should update their RGB lighting software or temporarily disable it to restore performance.