diff --git a/src/core/host_interface.cpp b/src/core/host_interface.cpp
index 4aadf0583..6b12b9012 100644
--- a/src/core/host_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/core/host_interface.cpp
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ void HostInterface::SetDefaultSettings()
   m_settings.speed_limiter_enabled = true;
   m_settings.start_paused = false;
 
-  m_settings.gpu_renderer = GPURenderer::HardwareOpenGL;
+  m_settings.gpu_renderer = Settings::DEFAULT_GPU_RENDERER;
   m_settings.gpu_resolution_scale = 1;
   m_settings.gpu_true_color = true;
   m_settings.gpu_texture_filtering = false;
diff --git a/src/core/settings.cpp b/src/core/settings.cpp
index b65747e05..0c2e76595 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/core/settings.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ void Settings::Load(SettingsInterface& si)
   cpu_execution_mode = ParseCPUExecutionMode(si.GetStringValue("CPU", "ExecutionMode", "Interpreter").c_str())
                          .value_or(CPUExecutionMode::Interpreter);
 
-  gpu_renderer =
-    ParseRendererName(si.GetStringValue("GPU", "Renderer", "OpenGL").c_str()).value_or(GPURenderer::HardwareOpenGL);
+  gpu_renderer = ParseRendererName(si.GetStringValue("GPU", "Renderer", GetRendererName(DEFAULT_GPU_RENDERER)).c_str())
+                   .value_or(DEFAULT_GPU_RENDERER);
   gpu_resolution_scale = static_cast<u32>(si.GetIntValue("GPU", "ResolutionScale", 1));
   gpu_true_color = si.GetBoolValue("GPU", "TrueColor", false);
   gpu_texture_filtering = si.GetBoolValue("GPU", "TextureFiltering", false);
diff --git a/src/core/settings.h b/src/core/settings.h
index 5c1b75b90..3ff7d2191 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.h
+++ b/src/core/settings.h
@@ -98,4 +98,11 @@ struct Settings
   static std::optional<ControllerType> ParseControllerTypeName(const char* str);
   static const char* GetControllerTypeName(ControllerType type);
   static const char* GetControllerTypeDisplayName(ControllerType type);
+
+  // Default to D3D11 on Windows as it's more performant and at this point, less buggy.
+#ifdef WIN32
+  static constexpr GPURenderer DEFAULT_GPU_RENDERER = GPURenderer::HardwareD3D11;
+#else
+  static constexpr GPURenderer DEFAULT_GPU_RENDERER = GPURenderer::HardwareOpenGL;
+#endif
 };