Windows 10 Fall Creators Update adds code to help catch game cheaters

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update enhances a lot of experiences in Windows 10 and brings new features to the operating system, but turns out Microsoft also quietly added a code to help catch game cheaters (via The Verge.)

The code at heart here is known as “TruePlay,” which was formally called Game Monitor. Microsoft vaguely mentioned this in a changelog for Windows 10 Insider Build 16251 in August but has been quiet about it since then. In all this time, gaming website VG247 has picked up on the code, calling it a new “anti-cheat feature.”

Fairly enough, Microsoft does explain TruePlay in details on an MSDN page, saying the true purpose of the code “provides developers with a new set of tools to combat cheating within their PC games.” This is similar to what Valve uses in Steam since the system collects the data in a “protected process” and only will share with developers after processing and the determination that cheating has occurred.

A game enrolled in TruePlay will run in a protected process, which mitigates a class of common attacks. Additionally, a Windows service will monitor gaming sessions for behaviors and manipulations that are common in cheating scenarios. These data will be collected, and alerts will be generated only when cheating behavior appears to be occurring. To ensure and protect customer privacy while preventing false positives, these data are only shared with developers after processing has determined cheating is likely to have occurred.

To be clear, TruePlay is turned off by default in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and the user can fully control it by searching for “TruePlay” via Cortana. The feature is also currently limited to Microsoft Store UWP Games. Definitely interesting, as it will help make games fair for everyone again.