Xiaomi Redmi Games Acceleration: How to Power Game Turbo, Overclock GPUs, and Increase FPS to 120 Hz

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones have long gained a reputation as one of the best mobile gaming devices in the budget and mid-range segment. However, even powerful models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or POCO F5 do not always work to the fullest out of the box - the manufacturer artificially limits performance to save battery power and prevent overheating. Fortunately, MIUI firmware has hidden tools that allow you to enable manual acceleration of games: from the official Game Turbo mode to hidden overclocking settings of the GPU.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the optimization options available, from basic (even beginners can do) to advanced (root rights or ADBs are required), and learn how to force the maximum GPU frequency, disable background processes that steal resources, and even circumvent MIUI overclocking restrictions. Importantly, not all methods are safe for the device — some can cause overheating or accelerated battery wear, so we’ll detail the risks and alternatives.

1.Official method: Game Turbo mode in MIUI

The easiest and safest way to speed up games is to activate the built-in Game Turbo mode that Xiaomi added to MIUI 10, which optimizes resource allocation, blocks notifications, and even allows you to record the CPU clock speed at the maximum level.

1. Open Settings → Special Features → Game Turbo Mode (on some models, the path may differ: Settings → Applications → Game Turbo).
2. Activate the slider at the top of the screen.
3. In the Performance Settings section, select the Extreme profile (or Performance on older versions of MIUI).
4. Enable FPS Optimization (if available for your model).

Once activated, Game Turbo automatically recognizes the launch of games and applies optimizations. To check if the mode is working, run any game (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty: Mobile) and swipe from the top right corner of the screen down, a floating panel with an FPS and temperature indicator should appear.

Game Turbo's limitations:

• 🔹 Doesn't work for all games (MIUI It only recognizes popular titles from the Xiaomi list).
• 🔹 On budget models (e.g. Redmi) 12C) optimisation FPS may be absent.
• 🔹 It's not accelerating. GPU above factory limits - only fixes the frequency at the maximum permissible level.

2. Hidden developer settings: overclocking the GPU and CPU

If Game Turbo doesn’t deliver enough performance, you can manually activate hidden options in the Developer Menu, a method that doesn’t require root rights, but requires caution—incorrect settings can cause overheating or spontaneous reboots.

First, turn on the developer menu:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer!”).
3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new section → For developers.

Now find and activate the following options:

• 🔧 Do not turn off the screen while charging (useful for long game sessions).
• 🔧 Fix background processes → Select “4 Processes” (reduces the lags when switching between games).
• 🔧 Limitation of background processes → set "No restrictions».
• 🔧 GPU-rendering → insert “Compulsory” GPU-rendering” (may improve the FPS into 2D-play-off).

Attention, the option is forced. GPU-Rendering can cause artifacts in some games (like Free Fire) and if you see bugs, turn it off immediately.

Enable Game Turbo| Activate Developer Mode |Fix 4 background processes |Deactivate window animation (in developer settings) |Set FPS limit to maximum-->

Forced activation 120 Hz (for supported models)

Many Redmi smartphones (such as the Redmi K60, POCO F4 GT or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) support 120Hz refresh rates, but use 60 or 90Hz by default to save battery.

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select the screen refresh rate.
3. Set the value of "120 Hz" (or "Auto" if available).
4. In the Developer Menu (Developers) find the option Debugging over USB → Minimum Width and set “500 dpi” (this will reduce the load on the GPU at a high FPS).

If the 120Hz option is not available in the settings, try the following method (works on MIUI 13/14):

adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 120

This command must be entered through ADB (the instructions for setting up ADB are below).

4. ADB Optimization: Unlocking Hidden MIUI Features

Using Android Debug Bridge (ADB) You can activate functions that Xiaomi has hidden from users. USB-cable, but gives access to advanced settings, for example:

• 🖥️ Vulkan's forced inclusion API for games (improving graphics in titles like Genshin Impact).
• 🖥️ Shutdown MIUI Optimization (removes lags, but may disrupt some functions).
• 🖥️ Unlocking thermal throttling restrictions (allowing the processor to run at maximum for longer).

Instructions for setting up ADB:

1. Download Platform Tools from Google and unpack it into any folder.
2. Enable USB debugging in the developer menu on your smartphone.
3. Connect Redmi to your computer and type in the command line (in the folder with ADB):

adb devices

If the device is determined, follow the commands to optimize:

adb shell settings put global force_gpu_rendering 1


adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1




adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1

Warning: Team miui_optimization_disabled switch off MIUI, which may lead to:

• ⚠️ Increased battery consumption (up to 20% faster).
• ⚠️ Overheating under prolonged loads.
• ⚠️ Unstable operation of some system applications (for example, theme store).

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Before using ADB, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will help restore the system if something goes wrong.

5. Manual clock control (requires root)

To maximize the speed of games, you can manually overclock the processor and graphics accelerator, but this requires root rights and specialized applications like Kernel Adiutor or FrancoKernel Manager. On Redmi smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 processors (for example, Redmi K60 Pro), overclocking the GPU can give an increase in FPS up to 15-20%, but the risks are high:

Step-by-step (for experienced users):

1. Get root rights (for example, through Magisk).
2. Install Kernel Adiutor from Google Play.
3. In the CPU section, select the kernel “big” (for powerful tasks) and set the maximum frequency to 5-10% above the factory.
4. In the GPU section, increase the frequency by 100-150 MHz (no more!).
5. Save the profile and restart the device.

⚠️ Note: Overclocking on Redmi with MediaTek processors (for example, Helio) G99 In Redmi 12 Pro, you often end up with irreversible trottling, where the processor starts to suffocate even under standard loads. On Snapdragon, the risks are lower, but they're still there.

6.Optimizing cooling: how to avoid trottling

Even after overclocking, real performance in games is often limited to overheating. Xiaomi sets strict temperature limits: when it reaches 45°C, the processor begins to reduce frequencies (trottling), and at 50°C, it forcibly closes the game.

• ❄️ Use a cooling case (e.g. Black Shark Cooling Backclip 2 Pro).
• ❄️ Install the Coolify app (requires root) to control the fan (on active cooling models, for example, POCO F4 GT).
• ❄️ Turn off the automatic brightness and set it to 50-60% — screen heats up less.
• ❄️ In the developer menu, turn off debugging GPU (overflowing – this reduces the load on the graphics processor.

To check the temperature in real time, use:

• 📊 Built-in monitoring in Game Turbo.
• 📊 Annex AIDA64 (temperature CPU/GPU/battery).
• 📊 Team. ADB:

adb shell dumpsys thermalservice

Extreme method (only for POCO F4 GT and Redmi K60):

These models have a hidden option called LiquidCool, which can be activated via ADB:

adb shell am start -n com.miui.liquid/com.miui.liquid.LiquidActivity

After execution, the cooling system management menu will open, where you can manually set the “Extreme Cooling” mode.

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Cooling is critical for stable FPS. Even a small drop in temperature from 48°C to 43°C can increase productivity by 10-15% due to the absence of trottling.

7. Alternative methods: firmware and cores

If standard methods don't work, consider installing a custom firmware or a core optimized for gaming. Popular options for Redmi:

How to install custom firmware:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (can take up to 7 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for your model.
3. Download the firmware from the XDA Developers website.
4. Fly through fastboot or TWRP.

⚠️ Note: Install custom firmware on Redmi with MediaTek (e.g. Helio) G96) It often breaks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Before you run the firmware, check the user reviews of your model on the Internet. 4PDA or XDA.

FAQ: Frequent questions about speeding up games on Redmi