Windows Vista has enhancements that make it easier for you to access, play, and manage your games. The Game Folder is listed right on the Start menu. It gives you a convenient list of all games currently stored on your PC. Thumbnail graphics for each game provide easy access to the games you want to play, and also display detailed information such as the game publisher and developer; when you last played; which version of the game you own; and the game release date, genre, and rating. Support for the Universal Controller allows you to use the same controller with both your PC and your Xbox 360.

SuperFetch, a new feature in Windows Vista, allows applications and files to load much faster than on Windows XP-based computers. In previous versions of Windows, system responsiveness could be uneven. You may have experienced sluggish behavior after booting your machine, after performing a fast user switch, or even after lunch. Although too many carbohydrates might slow you down after lunch, your computer slows down for different reasons. When you're not actively using your computer, background tasks—including applications such as automatic back-up and antivirus software—take this opportunity to run when they will least disturb you. These background tasks can take space in system memory that your applications were using. After you start to use your PC again, it can take some time to reload your data into memory, slowing down performance.

SuperFetch, a new technology in Windows Vista, understands which applications you use most, and preloads these applications into memory, so your system is more responsive when you first boot or when you switch to a different user profile. SuperFetch uses an intelligent prioritization scheme that understands which applications you use most often, and can even differentiate which applications you are likely to use at different times (for example, on the weekend versus during the week), so that your computer is ready to do what you want it to do. SuperFetch can also prioritize your applications over background tasks, so that when you return to your machine after leaving it idle, it's still responsive.

Speech Recognition is fully integrated into Windows Vista and is built on top of the latest Microsoft speech technologies. It has unparalleled voice recognition accuracy that improves with use as it adapts to your speaking style and vocabulary. Speech Recognition supports multiple languages and includes a new human-sounding speech synthesizer.

With Windows Vista, you no longer have to remember where you store every file. Instead, to find a file, you need to only remember something about it, such as a word contained within a document, the artist of a song, or the date a picture was taken. Powerful, integrated desktop search capabilities help you find just about anything on your computer quickly, without having to search for it by browsing through folders. For example, in the new Start Menu, it is as simple as typing a word, a phrase, a property, or any part of a file name into the embedded Quick Search box to instantly find the file that you want.