It’s official: Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will be called Windows 11 and will be released as a free upgrade (and on new PCs) by holiday 2021. Over the next few weeks and months, Windows Insiders will get to try out all the new features and we’ll all learn more about what’s in store. Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 11 right now.
Insiders Next Week, Release Later in 2021
If you’re signed up as a WIndows Insider, you should be able to try an official early version of Windows 11 as soon as next week (week of June 29th), according to Microsoft. Microsoft says that anyone in the Dev or Beta channels will be eligible to get the Windows 11 Insider builds, provided that their hardware meets the requirements.
To sign up or change your channel in Windows Insider, go to Settings->Update and Security->Windows Insider Program. Microsoft also says that the official upgrade will be rolling out by the “holiday season.” So expect it any time between October and December.
Free Upgrade, List of Requirements
Like Windows 10 before it, Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for anyone who has a recent prior version of Windows and the right hardware. According to Microsoft’s blog, the minimum system requirements are:
- CPU: 1-GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a 64-bit processor.
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of storage
- UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0
- 9-inch or larger screen with 720p resolution
- Internet connectivity and an MS account. No offline installs.
- GPU compatible with DirectX 12
These exceed the Windows 10 system requirements in a number of ways. Microsoft lists those as 1-GHz CPU (but not dual core or 64-bit), just 1 or 2GB of RAM, a mere 16 to 20GB of storage space and a GPU that is capable of DirectX 9 with a minimum resolution of 800 x 600.
The TPM 2.0 requirement could shut out a lot of users, particularly those with home-built PCs. Not every motherboard comes with a TPM module on-board, though some motherboards are upgradeable with a TPM module you can buy after the fact. Many systems have TPM on board but it comes disabled so you’ll need to turn it on your BIOS.
Even Fairly Recent CPUs May Not Work
Microsoft has also strongly implied that even computers which have TPM 2.0 and secure boot, but are older than an Intel 8th Gen Core or AMD Ryzen 2000 series CPU won't be supported in the final release (for preview builds, older hardware should work). The company released AMD and Intel CPU compatibility lists that omit anything that's older than those generations.
Both Intel 7th Gen Core and AMD Ryzen 1000 series came out as recently as 2017 and are still actively made and sold. For example, Microsoft's own Surface Studio 2 has a 7th Gen Core chip inside and sells for more than $3,000.
We asked a Microsoft spokesperson about the lists and didn't get, what we'd consider a firm answer. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Microsoft VP Steve Dispensa wrote that "Windows 11 is only supported on the CPU list I posted above. There are more requirements than just TPM 2.0 support (and all supported chipsets should have TPM 2.0, so that's not generally a blocking requirement)."
However, Dispensa also tweeted that "the lists will evolve over time." If they don't, a huge portion of users will not be able to run the new OS.
The new Windows Start menu appears by default in the middle of the screen, though you can change a setting to make it appear on the left. Gone are the live tiles, replaced with simple, colorful icons.
According to Microsoft, the menu uses “the cloud” to help you as it shows recommended apps / documents, no matter what device you were working on previously. As an example, Microsoft Partner Director of Windows User Experience Carmen Zlateff showed how a document she was looking at on her phone appeared in the Start menu on her PC.
Windows 11 also has a new Search experience, which now appears in a separate window (no more text search bar). It’s supposed to also search across devices and services, as well as using Bing search for the web.
Snap Layouts and Snap Groups
On Windows 11, hovering over the minimize / maximize button gives you a choice of different snap layouts, based on your screen size. So, for example, if you have three apps open and enough room, you’ll be offered the option to split evenly between all three or have one take up half the screen and the other two take up a quarter each.
If you have to interrupt your workflow by, for example, responding to an incoming email, you’ll be able to restore your snapped layout by clicking on an icon on the taskbar. Icons for these “snap groups” will appear next to app icons so you can easily switch back to a complete layout in one click.
Docking and Undocking: Windows 11 Remembers
If you have a tablet or laptop that you dock to an external monitor and then undock, Windows 11 will automatically minimize the windows that were on the external monitor(s) when you disconnect from them and then automatically restore them to the monitor when you reconnect. This is a huge win for anyone who has to take their laptop into a conference room for a meeting and then back to their desk after it's over.
Virtual Desktops Now Allow Custom Wallpaper
The virtual desktop experience has been improved so now each desktop can have its own wallpaper and distinct look. Zlateff said this is a good way to separate work from home and gaming experiences.
Teams Integrated with Windows
The Teams icon will be on the taskbar and you’ll be able to use it to make calls to anyone else who uses Teams on any device, including Android and iOS devices. You’ll also be able to send and receive SMS messages from the taskbar.
The news feed adapts to you, trying to bring in feeds that you want, based on your preferences. There’s also a feature that lets you give some content creators a tip.
A slide-out pane on the left side of the screen shows you “Windows widgets” a set of curated news, weather and stock information. This is a clear evolution of the weather and news bar we see in recent versions of Windows 10.
New Touch Experience
Say goodbye to “tablet mode.” When you go into tablet mode on a 2-in-1, you’ll see slightly more space between icons and larger touch targets, but the interface will remain largely the same. You’ll be able to use the same gestures -- three finger swipe for example -- that you use on a Windows Precision touchpad as well.
The pen experience has been updated to allow haptic feedback as you write. The touch keyboard is all-new and will let you customize its look and feel while also using emojis. Voice typing has also been improved and automatically adds punctuation while taking voice commands such as “delete that” to help you edit.
Auto HDR for Gaming
If your monitor supports HDR but your game doesn’t, Windows 11 will convert the color and lighting. During a demo, Microsoft’s Sarah Bond showed how this feature made Skyrim look much more colorful and lifelike. This feature originated on the Xbox and is now coming to the PC.
DirectStorage Helps Load Times
Another Xbox feature now bound for Windows, DirectStorage allows your game to load content directly from your NVMe SSD into your GPU’s memory, without using a lot of CPU resources. This means faster level load times and less time spent waiting.
Xbox Game Pass Built In
Xbox Game Pass will come built into WIndows 11 so, if you purchase a membership, you’ll have access to hundreds of titles. Xbox Cloud Gaming will also be available so you can even play on systems that have lesser hardware.
New Microsoft Store Policies
The store will support all kinds of apps, including those programming as PWA, UWP or Win32 formats. If you use your own commerce engine, you will not have to pay any revenue share to Microsoft at all. However, if you use Microsoft’s engine, you’ll have an 85/15 split for regular apps or 88/12 for games.
Android Apps Coming to Windows 11
You will be able to launch Android apps directly within WIndows and find them in the MIcrosoft store via Amazon’s own app store. Windows will use Intel’s Bridge Technology, a run-time post compiler, to allow the Android apps to run natively and be treated like any other Windows app that you can snap, pin-to-start, etc. Panay demonstrated this feature by running TikTok.
Yes, this technology will work on both AMD and Intel CPUs. Intel writes that “Intel Bridge Technology is a runtime post-compiler that enables applications to run natively on x86-based devices, including running those applications on Windows.” More importantly, on a later broadcast, Microsoft Head of Developer Platform Kevin Gallo confirmed that this "Android subsystem for Linux" would run on both brands of processor.
Windows 11 Ready PCs
Get ready for the marketing blitz. Microsoft says that “Windows 11 ready” PCs are coming. Considering that the hardware requirements are so low that pretty much any new PC can meet them, this sounds like more marketing hype than useful information.
We have already received updates from Acer and Dell saying that either all of or the vast majority of their recent offerings are Windows 11 compatible. Suffice it to say that if your PC has less than 4GB of RAM and a sub-1-GHz processor, Windows 10 probably isn’t working very well for you either. However, we don’t know if all of these computers came with TPM 2.0 modules on their motherboards.
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