genshin-fps-unlock: raising the frame cap on Genshin Impact from Windows

A single-purpose launcher for the frame rate ceiling

The repository is small by design. The top level holds a LICENSE file, the README, an unlockfps.sln solution file, and an unlockfps directory, and the primary language is C++. There is no web service, no configuration server, and nothing that needs to run before the game starts. The whole product is a Windows executable, unlockfps.exe, whose job is to start Genshin Impact with a higher frame rate ceiling than the one the game applies on its own. The README is blunt about scope. It says the project has only the frame rate function, and that if you want a Star Rail version you should look at the other author's build instead. It also states that this project will partly follow code updates from that other author's version, and that the release versions in the Releases section are generic, meaning the author sometimes does not bother bumping the version number for a rebuild. That last note is a practical warning for anyone who tracks releases by tag.

The launcher must start the game, and that changes your first run

The usage guide in the README describes a sequence that differs from what most people attempt. On the first run, you launch the unlocker as administrator and then open the game manually, so the unlocker can find the game path and store it in its configuration file. This has to happen only once. After that the unlocker can start the game itself. The reason the unlocker needs administrator rights is stated in the README: the game has to be launched by the unlocker, the game itself requires administrator rights, so the thing doing the launching needs them too. Two operational constraints follow. The game must be closed before you run the unlocker, and the unlocker window cannot be closed, since the unlocker stays involved for the session. The README also notes that the unlocker can sit anywhere on disk and does not need to be placed in the Genshin folder, which matters if you have a read-only or multi-user game installation.

Hotkeys adjust the limit live, and the source default is 120

Once the game is running, the limit is changed from the keyboard rather than by editing anything. The README lists the default hotkeys, with a note that each key press changes the value once rather than being held down. F9 turns the feature on and off. The right Ctrl key combined with the up arrow raises the frame rate ceiling by 20, the right arrow raises it by 2, the down arrow reduces it by 20, and the left arrow reduces it by 2. The source default is 120. The granularity is deliberate, with coarse steps for quick moves and fine steps for landing on an exact value, and the hotkeys make it possible to react to what the game is actually doing rather than guessing a number in advance. The right Ctrl rather than either Ctrl key is a specific detail, and pressing the wrong combination does nothing at all. The README also records a dated note: on 2026-03-06 the author suggested setting 120 frames and not raising it further.

fps_config.ini and the hide option that suppresses the launcher window

Version 6.4 added an option that changes how the tool looks on your desktop, and it is worth knowing because the file is easy to miss. You enable the show hidden files option in your file manager, find fps_config.ini, and edit it. If the hide entry is missing, starting the game causes the tool to write hide=0, which shows the window. Changing the value to hide=1 means the window is not shown and the game starts directly. The catch is that this requires admin rights to write into the program directory, which is another reason the tool insists on running elevated. The mechanism is a plain INI file rather than a registry setting or a hidden menu, which is convenient for inspecting but also means the state lives next to the executable and has to travel with it if you move the tool. Since the unlocker is designed to be run from anywhere, an INI next to the binary is a moving part worth tracking when you relocate it.

Custom launch parameters go on a shortcut, not on the command line

The README documents a way to pass extra parameters to the tool, and it is done through a Windows shortcut rather than a console invocation. You create a shortcut for unlockfps.exe, open the shortcut properties, and add the parameters you want to the target, for example -popupwindow. The README notes that multiple parameters are supported. This matters because the arguments belong to the unlocker, and they are how the author exposes behaviour that is not on the hotkey list. Because the setting lives in the shortcut, it survives across launches but is also invisible once set, and it is not mentioned anywhere else in the documentation, so a shortcut you edited months ago can quietly change how the tool starts. There is no documented list of every accepted parameter in this repository, so the parameters worth knowing are the ones the README shows, and the source directory is where the rest would have to come from.

Where the other builds differ, and what this one leaves out

The README is unusually open about the alternatives, and it credits two other authors, Euphony_Facetious and 34736384, for the open source work it builds on. The related project it points to is winTEuser's Genshin_StarRail_fps_unlocker, and the author asks readers to support that version with stars, saying that if you find this one useful you can also star it. The difference in approach is coverage and extras rather than technique. The other project covers Star Rail in addition to Genshin, and the README states that if you need more functions you should download the unlock_clr from 34736384, because this repository does nothing but the frame rate change. So the choice is between a narrow tool that does one thing and holds fewer dependencies on your system, and broader builds that combine multiple games and additional options. There is also a licensing consideration to note: this repository is released under the MIT licence, and a permissive licence matters here because redistribution and modification of a launcher that touches a commercial game are the kind of use people ask about.

Maintenance reality, releases, and the source layout

The last push to the master branch was on 2026-09-23, and the repository is not archived, so the work has not been abandoned. The recent releases show a steadier older record: version 6.7 was published on 2026-07-02, 6.4 on 2026-03-24, and 6.3 on 2026-01-21. The gap between the release tags and the last push is normal for a small tool, and the README's own guidance is the practical rule, that version 7.1 has no new update so you can use the latest release. The README also records that the author returned to Genshin Impact, cleaned up the code, and updated it slightly. The repository layout is minimal, with a single solution and a source directory, which means building it yourself means opening unlockfps.sln in a C++ toolchain. There is no documented build dependency list, no CI configuration at the top level, and no test suite described, so compiling it yourself is a reasonable exercise only if you are comfortable reading C++ that calls into the game's own executable. The published release is the sane starting point for everyone else.

Editorial conclusion

Adopt genshin-fps-unlock if you play Genshin Impact on Windows, want a frame rate above the stock cap, and are willing to launch the game through an administrator window that must stay open for the whole session. Do not expect anything beyond frame rate control, since the author states the repository has no other features and points to a separate build for a Star Rail version and extras. Before running it, download the latest release rather than an old tag, because the README states that version 7.1 has no new update and the published release versions are interchangeable in practice, and follow the first run sequence, since the launcher has to learn the game path once before it can start the game itself.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Issues
2. License: MIT
3. README
4. Releases
5. xiaonian233/genshin-fps-unlock on GitHub