How to turn off the acceleration of games on Xiaomi Redmi 9: a complete guide with nuances

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is a popular budget smartphone that, thanks to optimized hardware and software chips from the manufacturer, is able to run many modern games. However, not all users know that the device is activated by default, the Game Turbo mode, which does not always work correctly. This mode can cause overheating, unstable frame rates or even lead to premature wear of the battery.

In this article, we will discuss why you need acceleration mode, how to turn it off on Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A, 9C, 9T modifications), and what alternative settings will help improve the gaming experience without putting too much stress on the system, and you will learn what risks it entails to disable this feature and how to minimize them.

What is the acceleration of games on Xiaomi and why to turn it off

Game Turbo Mode (or MIUI Game Speed Booster) is Xiaomiโ€™s proprietary technology that automatically optimizes smartphone performance during game launch.

  • ๐ŸŽฎ Enhancement FPS In games due to the prioritization of processor resources
  • ๐Ÿ”‹ Optimization of energy consumption (according to the manufacturerโ€™s request)
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Block notifications and background processes to reduce lags

But in practice, many Redmi 9 users face the opposite effect: the smartphone starts to warm up more, the battery goes down faster, and in some games there are artifacts or slowdowns, the reasons are rooted in aggressive optimization of MIUI, which does not always correctly allocate resources on the budget hardware (MediaTek Helio G80/G35 processor, 3-4 GB of RAM).

Disabling the acceleration of games can be useful in the following cases:

  • โšก The smartphone overheats during gameplay (temperature above 45).ยฐC)
  • ๐Ÿ”„ The game "freezite" or flies despite high graphics settings
  • ๐Ÿ“‰ The battery is discharged in 1-2 hours of intense play
  • ๐ŸŽ›๏ธ You want to manually adjust performance through the engineering menu
๐Ÿ“Š You turned off the acceleration of games on your Xiaomi?
Yeah, it helped.
Yeah, but I didn't notice the difference.
No, I haven't.
I have another smartphone.

Preparation before disconnection: what you need to know

Before you deactivate Game Turbo, consider a few key points:

โš ๏ธ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (especially global) disabling the acceleration of games can lead to resetting of graphical settings in games. PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty will have to re-choose texture quality.

Itโ€™s also important to understand that Redmi 9 is not a flagship device, and its performance is limited by hardware. Disabling the Game Turbo wonโ€™t make the smartphone more powerful, but it can stabilize its performance. If youโ€™re playing heavy projects (like Genshin Impact), itโ€™s best to consider alternative optimization methods, which weโ€™ll discuss below.

Before the procedure begins:

Backup important data (photos, game saves)

The battery should be at least 30% charged.

Close all background applications

Make sure the latest version is installed on your smartphone. MIUI-->

Action.Effects of consequencesRecommendation
Game Turbo DisconnectionReduced heat, but possible lags in heavy gamesTest in light games (e.g. Brawl Stars)
Resetting the schedule settingsGames will be launched with default settingsRemember the current settings before disconnecting
Manual processor setupMay improve performance, but risk of overheatingUse only verified values

Method 1: Disconnect via MIUI settings (official method)

The easiest and safest way to do this is to deactivate game acceleration via the standard MIUI menu, which works on all firmware versions (including MIUI 12/13/14) and does not require superuser rights.

Instructions:

  1. Open the Settings. โ†’ Special facilities.
  2. Scroll down and select Game Acceleration (or Game Turbo in English firmware).
  3. Move the slider to the off position.
  4. Reboot your smartphone so that the changes take effect.

If the game speed up item is not on the menu, try an alternative way:

  1. Start any game (such as Subway Surfers).
  2. Swipe down from top to top to open the notification bar.
  3. Slip on the Game Turbo icon (a game controller icon).
  4. In the menu that opens, turn off the Acceleration option.

๐Ÿ’ก

If after turning off the game started to slow down, try to clear the cache of the application through Settings โ†’ Apps โ†’ [game name] โ†’ Storage โ†’ Clear the cache.

Method 2: Deactivation through the Engineering Menu (for advanced)

If the standard shutdown failed or you want to fine-tune your performance, you can use the MTK Engineer Mode, a technique only suitable for MediaTek-based smartphones (like the Redmi 9).

โš ๏ธ Warning: Incorrect settings in the engineering menu can lead to unstable operation of the smartphone or even loss of warranty!

Step-by-step:

  1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
  2. In the menu that opens, select Battery Information (or Battery Information).
  3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select MTK Settings.
  4. Go to the Hardware Testing โ†’ CPU Stress Test section.
  5. Turn off the Game Mode Boost option (if it is active).

You can use the MTK Engineering Mode app (available on Google Play) to get a deeper setup, but this requires knowledge of how the processor works, such as manually limiting core clock speeds to reduce heat:

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Reduction of the frequency of Big cores (cows) to 1.8-2.0 GHz (instead of the standard 2.0-2.2 GHz)
  • ๐Ÿ”‹ Limiting Little Cores to 1.5 GHz
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
If the ##4636### combination doesnโ€™t work, try: 1. Install the MTK Engineer Mode app from Play Market. 2. Use the alternative code: ##36446337## (for some versions of MIUI). 3. Update the firmware to the latest version โ€“ sometimes access to the engineering menu is blocked in older builds.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If previous methods have failed, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which requires connecting your smartphone to a PC and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

  • ๐Ÿ’ป Computer with drivers installed ADB and Fastboot
  • ๐Ÿ”Œ USB-cable (preferably original)
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Included debugging by USB smartphone

Instructions:

  1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings โ†’ About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ Developer. Turn on USB Debugging.

cmd

Terminal

adb devices

If the device is displayed, move on.

adb shell settings put global game_booster_enable 0
adb reboot

Once this command is executed, Game Turbo mode will be completely deactivated at the system level, and it cannot be turned on back through the standard settings. To return everything as it was, use the same command, replacing 0 by 1.

Alternative methods of optimizing games without turning off Game Turbo

If you donโ€™t want to give up speeding up games entirely, but want to reduce heat and improve performance, try these ways:

  • โ„๏ธ Limitation FPS: Like, games. PUBG Mobile or Free Fire manually set a 30-40 frame limit FPS (60 FPS). This will reduce the load on the processor.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Cache Clearing: Clean the game cache regularly through Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ [Game] โ†’ Warehouse โ†’ Clear the cache.
  • ๐Ÿ“ต Disabling background processes: Close all unnecessary apps (especially instant messengers and social networks) before playing).
  • ๐Ÿ”‹ Use of Power Saving Mode: Turn on Battery โ†’ Energy savings (but this can reduce the cost of energy) FPS).

You can also install third-party utilities for optimization, for example:

  • Game Booster 4x Faster (allows you to fine-tune performance)
  • CPU Monitor (tracks processor heating and loading)
  • GFX Tool (for manually adjusting graphics in games)

- Dusty radiator (to be cleaned)

- Discharged battery (capacity below 80%)

Background processes (especially Facebook, Instagram)

- Unoptimized firmware (update) MIUI last-minute).-->

Frequent problems after turning off the acceleration of games and their solutions

After deactivating Game Turbo, some users face unexpected consequences, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem.Possible causeDecision
The games started to slow down.The system has ceased to prioritize resources for gamesManually close the background apps or use the Game Booster
The graphics settings are down.Game Defines New 'Iron' After Disabling AccelerationReset the graphics in the game menu
Smartphones are warming up moreThe processor operates at maximum frequency without optimization.Limit FPS in the game settings or use a cooling stand
Vibration doesn't work in gamesGame Turbo Managed Tactile ResponseCheck the vibration settings in the game itself.

If after turning off the acceleration, the games start to fly out or do not start, try the following steps:

  1. Clear the game data (Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ [Game] โ†’ Storage โ†’ Clear the data).
  2. Reset the game.
  3. Update the graphics accelerator drivers via Settings โ†’ About Phone โ†’ System Update.

โš ๏ธ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (Disabling Game Turbo can result in the loss of screen recording function during the game. If this option is important to you, use third-party applications, for example. AZ Screen Recorder.

Can you turn off the acceleration of games only for individual games?
Yes, in some versions of MIUI, it's possible. Start the game, swipe down to call the Game Turbo panel, tap the gear icon, and select Turn off acceleration for this application, but this option is not available on all firmware.
Will the smartphone work faster after the Game Turbo is turned off?
No, turning off the acceleration of games will not speed up the smartphone as a whole. This feature is sharpened specifically for games. For general optimization, it is better to turn off animations in Settings โ†’ For developers โ†’ Animation Scale (set 0.5x).
Why did the game look worse after the acceleration shutdown?
The game has probably automatically lowered the graphics settings, as the system no longer signals โ€œgameโ€ mode. Go to the game graphics settings and manually select the desired quality (for example, HD + 60 FPS instead of Low + 30 FPS).
Can I get the speed back if I turned it off through ADB?
Yes, do the same command, but replace it. 0 on 1: adb shell settings put global game_booster_enable 1 After that, restart your smartphone.
Is there a risk of damage to the smartphone when you turn off the Game Turbo?
No, turning this off will not harm the device, but if you have changed the settings in the engineering menu or through the ADB, the incorrect settings can lead to unstable operation, in which case reset to the factory settings (Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ Recovery and Reset).