Discord is reportedly developing a new game mode aimed at reducing the strain it places on a computer’s CPU and GPU. The information comes from the Discord Previews account on X, a platform where leaks about upcoming features are common. According to the tweet, if activated, the Discord app would automatically simplify its animations and disable visual effects when it detects a game is running. This would free up system resources to help the game perform better. However, the feature has not yet been officially confirmed by Discord. Discord has long been criticized for its high memory usage, which is partly due to its use of Electron, a software framework that embeds a full web browser (based on Chromium) to display its interface. While this allows the app to work across different operating systems, it can consume more memory than native applications. In December 2025, a Discord employee mentioned an experiment where the app would restart itself if memory usage reached 4 GB, but such cases were described as rare and dependent on specific conditions. The proposed game mode would focus on reducing CPU and GPU usage, but it would not address the memory demands caused by Electron itself. Discord has already taken steps to improve performance, such as rewriting parts of its code in Rust, a programming language known for efficiency, and updating to Electron version 42. This update reduced the app’s average CPU usage by 17% but increased memory use by 4%, highlighting the ongoing trade-offs between performance and resource consumption. The debate over Electron’s efficiency is not limited to Discord. Other popular apps like WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams also use Electron and face similar criticisms for high memory usage. These applications are often used together, contributing to higher overall system demands. Some developers advocate for moving to native code, which is typically lighter on system resources but requires more platform-specific development work. The growing dissatisfaction with Electron-based apps coincides with rising RAM prices and a trend known as "vibe coding," where developers create lightweight alternatives without traditional programming expertise. For example, Carmine Paolino developed Spotifast and Zapfast, open-source alternatives to Spotify and WhatsApp, using Rust and the MIT license. These projects reflect a broader shift in the industry toward native applications, as seen in Microsoft’s K2 initiative, which aims to incorporate more native components into Windows 11.