In the weeks leading up to publication, a number of software engineers and modders have decompiled and recompiled games, unlocked mods, and accelerated game emulation, resulting in everything from a browser-based Fallout: New York game to full PlayStation 5 game ports using AnyPS5. It seems as though Microsoft has now taken notice of the uptick in these AI-accelerated game mods and unofficial port projects and launched Xbox Labs in response.

In a recent email shared by Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, she explains that the rapidly accelerating pace of game and mod development that has been a result of these AI "experiments challenge long-held assumptions about our industry," and that "it is easy to see the possibilities in making great games easier to access, giving old games new life and allowing more players to become creators and co-creators." The motivation behind Xbox Labs appears to be to get out ahead of these AI projects and "turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience."

Jailbroken PS5 owners can now stream Xbox games on Sony's console. Developer RafaelNGP has released PSBox Cloud Gaming on GitHub, an unofficial Xbox Cloud Gaming client that runs natively on homebrew-enabled PS5s through a loader such as ShadowMountPlus. Sign-in works through a code entered at microsoft.com/link, and a Game Pass Ultimate subscription is still required. The DualSense acts as an Xbox controller, rumble included, and the latest build even adds voice chat through the DualSense mic. Streams run at 1080p60 by default, with 720p for slower connections and an experimental 1440p mode where Microsoft offers it. Interestingly, the app can also use the PS5's GPU to upscale the stream to 4K, with a choice between AMD FSR 1 and the Anime4K upscaler.

The project is moving fast, too. Version 0.5.0, which brought the 4K upscaling, landed on October 8, and version 0.9.5 followed just two days later, picking up Remote Play to your own Xbox along the way. Video is H.264 decoded on the CPU, so there's no HDR for now, and bitrate sits at around 10 to 12 Mbps at 1080p. Some early testers reportedly ran into macroblocking, pink artifacts, and DualSense vibration issues. It's the latest in a busy stretch for PS5 homebrew, following emulators that run Nintendo Switch games, load PS2 discs, and even get Halo 2 running on the console. Of course, Microsoft could change or block the services the client relies on at any time, something the developer notes in the project's own README notes.

Microsoft is known for maintaining a mix of UI frameworks across its Windows 11 operating system, carrying over elements from as far back as the Windows 7 era. These include WebView2, React, WinUI, and Win32 UI, each with its own distinct look and behavior. Recently, the company added dark mode support to one of its older frameworks and applications, specifically Hyper-V Manager, which runs on the Win32 API for system graphics. This legacy software layer has been updated to include a dark mode, where most interactions now occur in a darker theme.

However, testing by Windows Latest reveals that the dark mode support is still incomplete, as Microsoft implemented Hyper-V Manager in a somewhat unfinished manner. While Hyper-V Manager generally features dark UI elements, some parts remain in light mode, such as the main management view and virtual machine listing. Additionally, Hyper-V Quick Create Gallery and Virtual Machine Connection are still exclusive to light mode. Switching between creating checkpoints and opening VMs in VM Connection is also problematic, as light screens persist. This makes the implementation less than seamless, raising questions about why Microsoft chose to release it before achieving a fully functional dark mode.

Microsoft today launched its biggest in-house compute processor for deployment on the Azure Cloud, the Microsoft Azure Maia 300. Announcing the silicon, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the company would be scaling its Maia family of chips to multi-gigawatt deployments, making it the company's primary AI inferencing system for its own products and services. The company is currently deploying its predecessor, the Maia 200, across the US, Europe, and Australia regions, where it is delivering 70% more tokens per Watt across Copilot and Teams, than AI GPUs. The new Maia 300 will offer a further 40% uplift in tokens per Watt over GPU-based solutions.

The Microsoft Azure Maia 300 is a multi-chiplet tile-based processor consisting of a main compute die built on the latest TSMC N2P (2 nm) foundry node, flanked by two I/O dies built on an older node, four DDR RDIMM memory tiles that serve as system-level main-memory; and 288 GB of 9 GT/s HBM4 memory for the compute accelerator across eight stacks. The HBM4 bandwidth on offer is a whopping 18 TB/s. The entire SoC has a maximum TDP of 950 W.

Microsoft is replacing the certificates that Windows PCs use to confirm they are talking to genuine Windows Update servers, and machines that miss the changeover will stop receiving updates. The company announced the rotation on October 8, and the current certificates expire on May 17 and June 19, 2027. Most users apparently won't have to do anything, since the replacements ship inside the regular monthly security updates. Windows 11 25H2 and later, including the recently launched 26H2, need no action. Windows 11 24H2 needs the September 2025 security update or newer, while other supported Windows 11 and Windows 10 versions need the July 2026 update or later before June 19. Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016 face the earlier May 17 deadline.

Microsoft says devices on unsupported versions "will lose access to Windows Update services and won't receive any updates as a result," and its only advice is to upgrade. For home users, that mostly points at Windows 10 PCs that were never enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU) after the OS reached end of life in October 2025. Those machines probably never got the July 2026 patch. Microsoft extended ESU coverage to October 12, 2027, so it looks like enrolling and installing the offered updates before June should bring the new certificates along. The warning also comes months after Microsoft began refreshing Secure Boot certificates that were due to expire in late June 2026. Readers are advised to check their update history for a cumulative update from July 2026 or later.

Microsoft is working on a rebuilt version of the Xbox PC app, codenamed "Garrison," and Windows Central's Jez Corden has gone hands-on with an early build. The current app has a reputation for being slow, especially when loading big libraries or the store, and that seems to be the main thing Microsoft is trying to fix. Corden says the new app is a lot faster, even with his library of over 1,400 Xbox titles. He did not share any load time numbers, however. The Verge's Tom Warren also posted screenshots on X, saying the design is "coming along nicely" and that performance is definitely better.

Game listings and store listings now share a single page, although store pages aren't fully working in this build. The app also makes it clearer which games can be installed locally and which can only be streamed through Xbox Cloud Gaming. There are layouts for both mouse and keyboard and controllers, and the app can apparently be set as the default home screen when Windows 11 boots into its gaming mode. That is probably a reference to Xbox mode, which Microsoft expanded to laptops, desktops, and tablets in April.

Sony has been granted a US patent for a system that lets livestream viewers point things out on a streamer's screen and even change what happens in the game. Titled "Adaptive screen share pointer and reactions during gameplay," US 12752199 was filed in October 2023 and appears to have been issued on October 6. A viewer gets a cursor that shows up over the streamer's gameplay, and its look changes with the game being played. The patent gives examples like marking a boss's weak point or showing where to aim a shot. Viewers could also drop stickers on the screen, or send emoji reactions that the streamer feels as vibration through a controller, VR headset, or phone.

It goes further than pointing, however. The patent describes game actions reserved for viewers who aren't controlling the character, such as triggering a lever or revealing a hidden item, and publishers would define these through an SDK. Only one cursor may appear at a time, with control passed between viewers through a queue based on engagement points. Streamers could earn a virtual trophy from the reactions they receive, while viewers get tiered rewards of their own. Consoles from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are all listed as client devices.

Xbox and PlayStation console sales in the US are having a rough 2026, according to new Circana data that analyst Mat Piscatella shared on Bluesky. For the year 2026 through August, Xbox hardware unit sales are down 33% year over year, while PlayStation units are 25% lower. That puts Xbox at an all-time low and PlayStation at its lowest point since 2013. As one might expect, it looks like pricing is the main culprit. Buyers paid an average of $529 for a new Xbox console this year, 26% more than a year ago, and $597 for a PlayStation, up 20%. Both are record highs for the US, and Piscatella says price sensitivity is becoming a real problem.

The decline follows a string of price hikes tied to the memory and storage shortage. Sony raised the PS5 Pro to $899.99 in April, Microsoft pushed the Xbox Series X to $799.99 on August 1, and Nintendo moved the Switch 2 to $499.99 in September, a hike analysts had warned about back in January. August itself was weak, with total hardware unit sales falling 15% to 559,000, the lowest August total since 2013. The Switch 2, however, remains the best-selling console of 2026 in both units and dollars. Piscatella said the US hardware market hasn't been "in a more precarious position since the early 80s." He thinks GTA 6's big launch might ease some of these declines, although that depends on console availability and pricing.

NVIDIA is marking the retail launch of its RTX Spark laptops with a public party in Berlin, and anyone aged 18 or older can attend. The RTX Spark Launch Celebration takes place on October 16, the same day the first laptops ship, at XPERION on Alexanderplatz. NVIDIA is presenting it as "a new beginning for Windows PCs" in the run-up to GTC Berlin, and the evening combines a stage program with hands-on demo stations and a laptop raffle. The company is even lighting up the Berlin TV Tower in NVIDIA green for the occasion.

Entry is free, although registration through Luma is required beforehand. The queue opens at 18:00 local time and doors open at 18:45. XPERION sits inside the Saturn store at Alexanderplatz 3, and capacity is limited, especially for the stage show. NVIDIA recommends arriving early for that reason, since that is how visitors secure entry, a spot in the raffle, and a goodie bag. The Berlin event is a chance to try RTX Spark hardware in person, across AI, creative, and gaming workloads.

Microsoft has updated its Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscriptions to reduce the overall storage pool. Previously, these subscription tiers allowed one buyer to share a subscription with five additional family members, totaling six people using the service. Each person received 1 TB of OneDrive storage to use as they wished, resulting in a total of 6 TB of storage from a single subscription. However, Microsoft is now reducing this capacity to a total of 2 TB of OneDrive storage, shared among the six individuals.

Microsoft notes that the shared storage capacity now applies to the entire subscription rather than being assigned individually. This means your storage capacity isn't fixed and could affect others if you decide to store large files. It's important to note that all personal files, photos, and documents remain private by default, even with the shared storage system. However, your guaranteed capacity will depend on other members, as you all share the same storage pool. If you purchase additional storage capacity with OneDrive, it will be added to the shared pool that everyone can access. Realistically, if one person uploads large files, the others may be left with limited storage in their subscription.

Microsoft says "hundreds" of AAA and indie games will run on NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs from day one, though Call of Duty will not be one of them. Windows and Devices head Pavan Davuluri made the claim at Microsoft's Windows and Surface event on October 7, where he also said Call of Duty support is coming in 2027. Apparently, no reason was given for the wait, and Microsoft didn't say which Call of Duty title they meant. That is an awkward gap, since Activision is a Microsoft-owned studio and the RTX Spark-equipped Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 with shipping set for October 16.

Anti-cheat is probably the holdup, although Microsoft hasn't confirmed that. RTX Spark uses an Arm-based CPU, so games run on Windows on Arm, and kernel-level anti-cheat drivers have to be rebuilt for it. Call of Duty relies on Activision's own Ricochet anti-cheat, which, as far as we know, only works on x86 systems today. Davuluri did show Gears of War: E-Day running at 60 FPS on the Surface Laptop Ultra. However, the resolution and upscaling settings were not disclosed, so the figure says little about real performance. It also isn't clear how many of those "hundreds" of games are native Arm builds and how many run through emulation. NVIDIA released its RTX Spark toolkit for Windows-on-Arm game development in July, and EA, Embark, and Ubisoft committed titles such as Apex Legends, ARC Raiders, and Anno 117: Pax Romana at Gamescom.

Today, Logitech unveiled the largest enterprise product launch in company history, engineered to equip companies for the AI revolution. Headlined by Logitech Rally Bar 2, Rally System 2 Pro, and Sound Shape technology, the new portfolio brings advanced compute, intelligence, and sensing into more workspaces to support the next decade of intelligent collaboration.

Henry Levak, general manager of Team Workspace Solutions at Logitech"This second generation of smart video collaboration devices is Logitech's answer to a new, dual mandate for IT: Deliver exceptional meeting experiences today while preparing for an AI-powered tomorrow."

Microsoft has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is joining Xbox Game Pass on October 13, the same day EA and Battlefield Studios kick off Season 5. The shooter will be playable on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. The game launched on October 10, 2025, so it took just over a year to get here. Season 5 moves the fight to Las Vegas with three new maps planned, two of which, Vegas Strip and an Area 51 map, are available on day one. EA is also adding six weapons, two vehicles, Platoons, and a Rapid Royale mode for REDSEC, while the long-requested server browser arrives later in the season.

The timing is interesting, to say the least. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with campaign early access opening on October 16 for digital pre-orders. Contrary to what one might expect from a Microsoft-owned franchise, Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Game Pass at launch. Microsoft dropped day-one Call of Duty access in April, when it cut Game Pass Ultimate to $22.99 and PC Game Pass to $13.99 per month, and new entries now arrive about a year after release. That leaves subscribers with EA's year-old shooter at no extra cost on one side and a $69.99 Call of Duty on the other. It's reasonable to expect a bump in Battlefield 6 player numbers, though it's unclear how much of that will last once Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer goes live.

Gears of War: E-Day, the origin story of the long-running Gears of War franchise, launched on Steam, Xbox, and Game Pass, and, although Microsoft has been building hype for the new Gears game for several months leading up to launch day, the game's launch performance on Steam is less than stellar. According to SteamDB, E-Day peaked at a somewhat underwhelming 31,517 concurrent players on Steam, although there's a strong chance much of its player base is playing the game via Game Pass or on the Xbox Series consoles. To be fair, the game launched in the middle of the week, so we may see an upward trend in player counts over launch weekend.

Reviews for Gears of War: E-Day have also been lukewarm, with Steam's Review rating reporting that only 74% of reviews on the platform are positive. On its own, that score isn't terrible, but the negative reviews seem to stem from issues with stability and gameplay and the plot. Some of the reviews complained about frequent crashes on PC, while many long-time fans seem to have had issues with what they refer to a misleading marketing that advertised a return to old characters from the series, only for those characters to be replaced early on. There are also complaints about the multiplayer gameplay missing features, like custom lobbies and meat shields.

Microsoft has unveiled a rebuilt Windows 11 Search at its Windows and Surface event, and it can now change system settings straight from the taskbar. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri showed it on stage, and Microsoft says the box will handle thousands of quick actions typed as simple commands. Examples include "switch to dark mode", "turn on Bluetooth", "dim my screen", "mute", and "minimize all my windows". Microsoft says these are only the first batch, and Phone Link actions such as sending a text message from a connected phone are also planned. The more interesting part for enthusiasts is probably under the hood. The new Search is built on WinUI 3, which Microsoft says makes it faster and lighter on system resources, and early testing apparently showed sizable gains in speed and memory use.

The layout is now a single list of results, replacing the current design with its large preview pane. Search should also cope better with typos and synonyms, and richer file details and web previews are planned for later this year. Copilot is part of it too, of course. Its answers show up inside Search, with a shortcut to open the full app. This follows the July cleanup that removed ads and promotional content from Search and added a setting to hide web and Microsoft Store suggestions. The new version started rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel on October 7. Microsoft is targeting this fall for regular Windows 11 PCs, though there's no exact date yet.

Microsoft has finally put a price on the Surface Laptop Ultra, and preorders are open as of today. The announcement came at the company's Windows and Surface keynote in San Francisco, with a starting price of $2,599 and shipments set to begin on October 16. Microsoft first showed the laptop at Computex in June without a price or a launch date. The base model gets a 15-inch mini-LED display and the lower of the two NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X configurations, which means an 18-core CPU, a 5,120-core Blackwell GPU, and 24 GB of unified memory. The 20-core version with a 6,144-core GPU starts at $3,699 with 32 GB, and the top model with 128 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD costs a steep $5,899. The only 2 TB option is a 64 GB model at $4,699. A Surface RTX Spark Dev Box was also announced at a hefty $5,999.

The other reveal is the oversized USB-C port that has had people guessing since June. Microsoft says the Surface Laptop Ultra is the first laptop in the world with a breakaway USB-C port, so a tripped-over cable should pull free without dragging the machine off the desk. The idea is the same as Apple's MagSafe and Microsoft's own Surface Connect, except those are proprietary connectors. This one apparently still works as a regular USB-C port with any USB-C device. As for the price, the $2,599 entry point is a little lower than expected. A TechPowerUp Forums member who spent about a month with a prototype guessed $2,799 for a 24 GB model. That prototype was tested on preview drivers, however, so readers are advised to wait for reviews of retail hardware before preordering.

Forza Horizon 6 will apparently reach the PlayStation 5 on January 26, 2027, according to billbil-kun, the generally reliable leaker at Dealabs. That would put the port a little over eight months behind the Xbox Series X|S and PC versions, which launched on May 19, and it would miss the 2026 window that Microsoft and Playground Games have been promising since January. The game is also said to be getting a physical disc release on the same day as the digital version. That is a change from Forza Horizon 5, which arrived on PS5 in April 2025 as a digital-only title. Pricing is reportedly set at €69.99 in Europe and £59.99 in the UK, the same as the Xbox version, and billbil-kun expects the US price to land at $69.99.

An official announcement is expected as early as this week, with pre-orders opening shortly after. Of course, neither Microsoft nor Playground Games has confirmed any of this. In early September, the studio's own blog still said the PS5 version would be out "later this year". The Verge's Tom Warren had been saying otherwise since late August, and he later reported that the port was being pushed to early 2027, apparently to coincide with the game's first expansion. It looks like he had it right. PS5 owners should keep an eye out for the official launch date and pre-order details.

AMD held a press briefing to share how its "Agentic PC" push is going, and it brought a fair number of figures along. Apparently, the company has shipped over half a million Agentic PCs across more than 50 designs, alongside tens of millions of AI PCs across more than 250 designs. Of course, the term "Agentic PC" is AMD's own. It covers any PC whose CPU, GPU, and NPU can run AI agents locally, and AMD says Ryzen AI Max+ systems with 64 GB of memory or more give the best experience. The Ryzen AI Max 400 series is pitched as the "next-gen Agentic PC" for 2026, and most of the briefing focused on its flagship, the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 "Gorgon Halo" with 192 GB of memory.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has reportedly told staff that the next-generation "Project Helix" hardware will lead with a home console, with portable play apparently coming as part of the same lineup. The remarks come from an internal town hall, and Windows Central says it obtained and verified a transcript. Helix was already known to be a "family of devices" instead of a single box, but this is the clearest hint so far about what else is in that family. Here's what she said:

We are moving to a family of devices for Gen-10. There is not one device that fits all. We will certainly have a great console first, but we also know that many players will be on the go. There are some things that we are the best in the world to manufacture, and there are other things that we will partner on. So, we will be sharing more about that as our plans develop. The operating system is starting to look really good. We're very excited about this.

Microsoft has reportedly signed a deal that makes Xbox Cloud Gaming the only cloud service allowed to stream Grand Theft Auto 6 at launch, according to The Verge's Tom Warren, citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. The claim follows an internal town hall this week where Xbox CEO Asha Sharma apparently told staff that the company has something planned around GTA 6 that "no other platform holder is doing." Sharma doesn't seem to have described the deal herself, and neither Microsoft nor Rockstar has confirmed it officially yet. It's also unclear how long the exclusivity lasts, or whether streaming will require buying the game.

If it pans out, the deal would matter most to PC players. GTA 6 is set to release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version. Xbox Cloud Gaming works on PCs, so it could be the only official way to play there at launch without owning a console. Rival services such as NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Sony's PlayStation Plus cloud streaming would presumably have to wait, though the report doesn't name them directly. Meanwhile, Microsoft is introducing monthly caps on cloud play in November, with Game Pass Ultimate limited to 15 hours, Premium to 10, and Essential to just 5. Extra hours can be bought, and a pay-as-you-go option for non-subscribers is expected the same month. Anyone hoping to finish GTA 6 over the cloud would probably burn through those hours fairly quickly.

Following what appears to have been a series of unfortunate events that led to a roadside laptop find resulting in confirmation that Microsoft will be launching a 20-core NVIDIA RTX Spark Surface Laptop, we now appear to have confirmation that Microsoft will also be launching a Surface Laptop Ultra on the other end of the Spark spectrum. According to Windows Central, Microsoft will reveal the full RTX Spark Surface line-up on October 7 at a special event in San Francisco.

Alongside the 20-core variant, the Windows Central report claims that Microsoft will launch a Surface Laptop with NVIDIA's 18-core RTX Spark. It is also claimed that the 18-core SKU will start with 24 GB of unified memory, while the 24-core version will start with 32 GB of memory. There will reportedly be a performance demonstration that shows off how the new Arm SoC delivers the same level of performance on battery life as it does when plugged into the wall.

NVIDIA today introduced its GeForce 617.42 WHQL Game Ready driver, bringing support and optimizations for various new game releases. First, there is Game Ready support for two new titles: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer. These two AAA games are newly supported with this driver version, meaning the experience should be ready to go, but keep an eye out for any possible issues, as with every newly supported game. Next, we have optimizations for Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and Valor Mortis, which have been fine-tuned to work better on NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards, extracting more performance and reducing visual glitches. Support for updates like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 7 has also been included, ensuring the package covers modern game updates and releases.

The driver itself also fixes an issue with Assassin's Creed Shadows, which previously crashed to the desktop after extended gameplay with driver version 616.56. Gamers running this specific version should upgrade to the latest 617.42 WHQL edition, and the full changelog can be found below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 617.42 WHQL

The next-generation Xbox Elite Series 3 controller has been revealed by none other than Microsoft. Within the Design Lab service, where gamers can customize their Xbox controllers and order them directly, Microsoft recorded a controller named "Edessa," which is linked to an accessory or customization product called "Beatrice." Today, we learn that Microsoft is preparing a more customizable controller than the current Elite Series 2. Thumbstick options reportedly include Hall effect modules with standard, loose, and tight tensions, along with a TMR-based option. This could allow users to choose both the sensing technology and the feel of the sticks. There is also a low-friction "silent" stick option, available in standard and longer neck designs.

Haptic feedback may also receive an upgrade. One listed motor configuration combines impulse trigger motors with voice-coil haptics, potentially delivering more advanced feedback than the existing Elite controller. Another feature mentioned is an "Audio Scroll Wheel," which seems to indicate a dedicated physical dial for controlling audio. Faceplates include metal finishes, predefined designs, multiple colors, and engraving options. Paddle configurations are similarly extensive, covering standard, classic, and doublewide shapes, with different lengths and layouts, including a Butterfly arrangement or no upper paddles. Several D-pad designs are also listed, with separate cosmetic and performance variants. The Beatrice platform alone reportedly contains 27 topper and paddle combinations.

If you have any old printers in your office, updating Windows and the driver stack might become problematic in the future. Microsoft is slowly moving Windows 11 away from the traditional model of installing printer manufacturers' drivers, instead providing a unified base layer within the operating system itself for host-based compatibility. This change targets legacy v3 and v4 printer drivers and aims to make Windows printing more standardized, secure, and easier to maintain. The future vision is for plug-and-play functionality in the operating system, where every certified printer is compatible without the need for traditional driver installation. Existing drivers can still receive updates on a case-by-case basis. Since July 1, Windows has also changed its driver ranking so that compatible devices prefer Microsoft's built-in Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) Class Driver.

A final stage is scheduled for July 1, 2027, when third-party driver updates will be limited to security fixes. Existing drivers can still be installed manually using packages supplied by manufacturers, provided the manufacturers decide to continue supporting the older driver model. The foundation is Windows Ready Print, which uses standards including IPP and is designed around Mopria-certified devices. Instead of requiring a separate driver for every printer, Windows can handle compatible hardware through its own printing stack.

When Microsoft released its Windows 11 26H2 update last week, it didn't include many under-the-hood changes that would affect everyday users. However, according to Windows Latest and several Reddit users, the update reportedly reduces RAM consumption when the system is idle, and even when does better management of RAM when applications are loaded. This improvement wasn't advertised by Microsoft, but it seems to be a welcome change for those who prefer lower RAM usage when not running any tasks. On Reddit, users are reporting a reduction in memory consumption of around 2 GB, with some experiencing up to a 3 GB decrease in idle RAM usage. Testing by Windows Latest on a laptop with 16 GB of RAM shows that, whereas it usually idled at 10 GB of usage, it now consumes 7 GB, with 4 GB of that cached and 8.8 GB available.

The update also introduces features like the Low Latency Profile, which is expanding to nearly all applications and could potentially make software launch faster on weaker hardware. Previously available for Microsoft-branded "in-box" applications, this feature boosts the CPU to its maximum frequency for 1-3 seconds, resulting in noticeably smoother app launches during testing. Launching Microsoft applications like Edge and Outlook is about 40% faster, and other applications, such as the Start Menu and context menus across the operating system, may be up to 70% faster. Now, other applications are receiving this update, which means the overall experience will be much smoother.