diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 9e3418a..08abdd1 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -2428,6 +2428,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 static bool InitSDL()
 {
+    // SDL3 otherwise holds timeBeginPeriod(1) for the process lifetime on Windows. Nothing here needs
+    // sub-15 ms waits (vsync pacing, the 200 ms idle wait, >=50 ms thread sleeps), so let the system
+    // timer relax. Ignored on non-Windows platforms; a false return (env override) is harmless.
+    SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_TIMER_RESOLUTION, "0");
     if (!SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO | SDL_INIT_GAMEPAD)) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: SDL_Init(): %s\n", SDL_GetError());
         return false;