We reported previously that Microsoft was planning an ad-supported version of its Xbox Cloud streaming service, and a new post by Xbox Wire confirms that this rumor is finally coming to fruition, with Xbox Insiders now gaining access to free, ad-supported game streaming via their Xbox accounts.

Ad-supported game streaming will be limited to games that players own already and free-to-play games, and gaming sessions will be limited to an hour. Microsoft explains that ads will play at the beginning of gaming sessions, seemingly exclusively, and that it will be available on any device where Xbox Cloud streaming is available. Judging by the blog post, there don't appear to be any other limitations, aside from the 1440p resolution limit.

Microsoft has launched Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, starting with four original Xbox titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. All four games are available through the Xbox app on PC and included with every Xbox Game Pass tier. Digital console license holders can also access them via Xbox Play Anywhere. The feature requires Windows 11 and works on PC and supported handhelds including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. Hardware requirements are modest, all you need is an NVIDIA GTX 950, AMD Radeon RX 550, or Intel UHD 770 / Arc A310 on the GPU side, a quad-core CPU, and 8 GB of RAM.

The company added several PC-specific enhancements like 4x resolution upscaling, V-Sync, fullscreen and windowed modes, anisotropic filtering, improved antialiasing, and adjustable language and audio settings. According to the official blog post published today by Jason Ronald, VP of Next Generation, Xbox, more backward-compatible titles are planned for later, however, no timing or hints about future titles have been made.

Microsoft is finally addressing the UI inconsistencies in Windows 11, which currently features a mix of design elements from various Windows eras, starting from Windows 7 to the modern design language. According to the latest preview build of Windows 11, the File Properties window within File Explorer is getting an update with the WinUI 3 framework to better align with the rest of the Windows 11 operating system. This change was first noticed by Phantomofearth on BlueSky, who documented a new framework update in this decades-old Windows component. Until now, Microsoft had not prioritized updating these smaller UI elements, leading to a patchwork of inconsistencies across Windows versions. The company had only given cosmetic upgrades to the main applications, leaving these smaller elements unchanged.

Currently, the Windows 11 OS is a mix of legacy Microsoft frameworks for the user interface. This mishmash of UIs has resulted in significant inconsistency, with users encountering non-uniform interfaces from the Windows 7 era in daily operations. This mix includes web-based WebView2, React, and others. Microsoft plans to transition its entire user experience to the desktop-only WinUI 3 framework, which will reduce application latency, improve user experience, and create a noticeably smoother feel. The company is making progress in replacing all frameworks that don't fit a uniform desktop, and we are beginning to see the effects of this effort. Soon, all desktop elements will run on WinUI 3 for the first time since the launch of Windows 11 in late 2021. It has taken several years, but Microsoft couldn't port legacy code without encountering many issues.

AMD today announced an expanded strategic partnership spanning AMD GPUs, CPUs, networking and software on Microsoft Azure. At the center of this expansion, Microsoft will deploy the AMD Helios Rackscale Solution, to power frontier model AI inference for Microsoft, its AI customers and support Azure AI services. Azure will also add two new AMD EPYC CPU-powered VM series and broaden its deployment of Pensando DPUs to support Azure networking services. AMD will begin shipping Helios to customers, including Microsoft, in the second half of 2026.

AMD Helios combines AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs, AMD EPYC "Venice" CPUs, Pensando networking and ROCm software in an open, integrated rackscale platform built for large-scale AI training and inference. The Azure deployment will use Helios for inference workloads spanning frontier models, Azure AI services and customer applications.

It seems as though the launch of Valve's Steam Deck has resulted in an almost non-stop slew of comparisons between Linux and Windows as a gaming operating system. In one recent test, Meta PCs sought out to test the two operating systems head-to-head to get some hard numbers and potentially settle the debate, however, the results brought up an interesting debate about what makes one operating system better than another.

Benchmarks were conducted on an all-AMD system running an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, an XFX Swift AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB, and 16 GB of RAM, with the AMD Linux drivers effectively making this a best-case scenario for Linux. The benchmarks were run on the latest version of Windows 11 and Fedora Linux 44, games were tested at the same resolution, and results were an average across three runs. All games tested were also the Windows versions running via Valve's Proton compatibility layer.

Microsoft has finally addressed one of the biggest pain points in using the modern Windows 11 operating system—the Windows Search Box. What used to be a complicated mess filled with content you didn't care about is now becoming a usable interface, with less visual clutter. Starting with new builds being rolled out to Windows Insiders on the Experimental Channel, Windows 11 will now display fewer results when running a Windows Search, meaning that the visual clutter is mostly gone, as you can see in the picture below. Recent searches are very easy to find, and the Search Box actually does what it is supposed to do. It will now display where the search result comes from, whether it is an application, a setting, a file, a web result, or even a Microsoft Store suggestion. The aim is for the Search Box to finally give users more transparency on what their actual search result is.

Perhaps the most important part of the update is the removal of promotional content. Previously, whenever you made a search in the Search Box, Microsoft would push promotions onto the user, showing related products first. This meant your search experience felt more like an advertising marketplace instead of a genuine search. Importantly, local search matches, like those from apps, settings, or files, are shown first before the web results, tailoring your experience towards a more local indexing of results. Additionally, these search results are customizable, as going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Search allows you to turn off web searches and Microsoft Store searches entirely.

It's no secret that things are in a state of flux at Xbox and all of its in-house game studios, and this appears to extend to Halo Studios. Despite building excitement for Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is slated to launch in late July 2026, it seems as though projects are being cut at Halo Studios all the same. Most recently, news broke via game journalist Rebs Gaming on X that Halo Studios had officially cancelled a new Halo project known internally as Project Ekur. This information was later validated by Windows Central reporter Jez Corden, although the nature of Project Ekur is still unknown.

Currently, it seems as though Project Ekur may have been anything from an add-on for an existing Halo game to an independent extraction shooter in the Halo universe. Rebs confirmed in a reply to a commenter that project Ekur was not the Destiny-like MMORPG that has also been rumored to be in the works at Halo Studios. The news of the canceled Halo project comes amid a shake-up at Xbox that has resulted in mass layoffs, the sale of a number of studios, and the cancelation of a handful of other games and projects at Microsoft. The Xbox layoffs have also resulted in external collateral damage at IO Interactive, where funding cuts resulted in layoffs.

Following the recent confirmation that layoffs related to Asha Sharma's Xbox reset have resulted in significant layoffs at ZeniMax-run studios—amounting to 50% of Id Software's workers and 25% of Bethesda's—OneBGS, the CWA-affiliated Bethesda Game Studios Union, has announced that its workers has organized marches outside Bethesda's studios in Montreal, Canada; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and Rockville, Maryland. CWA representatives said in an email seen by Game Developer that the layoffs have affected as many as 440 unionized workers at Bethesda and ZeniMax, and the union says that the protest will start on July 15 to fight for the rights of its workers.

"Microsoft and ZeniMax leadership have made the devastating decision to slash over 440 positions across BGS, ZOS, id, ZWU (QA) and ZeniMax corporate (including CTO and CSUR). Because we organized and certified our unions, we have hard-won legal rights and protections that non-unionized studios simply do not have. The company wants us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear. We won't let that happen. Our next steps are to mobilize. We need every single member visible and unified."

It has been known for a while that, as part of the new Xbox reset strategy under new CEO, Asha Sharma, Xbox would be leaning into Xbox exclusives more and more going forward, with it being understood that "Xbox exclusive" referred to both PC and Xbox Series consoles—given that the upcoming Helix console is a console-PC hybrid. Now, a new report out of Bloomberg claims that Microsoft will take Sony's approach to exclusives by releasing single-player titles, especially its AAA first-party and high-budget games, as Xbox exclusives. Meanwhile, multiplayer games will remain multi-platform, as many of Xbox's games have been for years. When Sony recently made a similar switch, it was widely criticized, even by former Sony execs, because the timed exclusives had little to no impact on console sales.

Allegedly, the goal of the strategy shift is to strengthen Xbox's platform sales, after the gaming giant's focus on Game Pass failed to deliver meaningful results. Reportedly, Game Pass subscriber numbers peaked around 30 million at the end of the 2026 financial year, which is 47 million behind the 77 million goal that was set in 2017 when the subscription was launched. The recent changes at Xbox and Microsoft have also led to mass layoffs, the loss of a number of studios, which will either be bought out or go independent, and cancelling a handful of unannounced games. It was also recently revealed that Xbox Game Pass contracts and negotiations with external studios had been placed on hold, although there's no clear indication whether those negotiations and contracts have since been resumed.

Following the announcement that Xbox would be laying off a total of 3,200 employees across the 2027 financial year, Microsoft's EVP and Chief People Officer, Amy Coleman, announced on July 6 that the tech giant would be laying off a total of 4,800 workers, or around 2.1% of its global workforce. With the majority of the layoffs coming from the aforementioned Xbox layoffs, that leaves 1,600 workers being laid off, the bulk of which are from its Commercial Business division. According to the announcement on the Microsoft Blog, Microsoft is conducting layoffs because its "business is changing because the world around it is changing," and "customers' needs are shifting, the business models that serve them are shifting."

Coleman says that Microsoft has needed to respond to the changes in the industry by adjusting resources and roles in order to have the "greatest impact for our customers." She also adds that the employees being laid off will not be replaced by AI, although she acknowledges that "AI is changing how work gets done," and she goes on to explain that many of the daily tasks performed at Microsoft can be automated, which will mean Microsoft will need to "keep learning, keep building new skills, and keep adapting as the works evolves." Coleman says that, in the year leading up to the layoffs, Microsoft has redeployed more than 4,000 employees into new roles within Microsoft, and that over 30% of those eligible for the program opted for its voluntary retirement program.

Following recent rumors of the same, Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma announced on July 6 that Microsoft's gaming division would be cutting its workforce by as much as 20% in the 2027 financial year as part of a year-long restructuring at Xbox. The layoffs started with 1,200 employees on the day of the announcement, and Sharma blames the layoffs on declining Xbox revenue, stating that "our business is not healthy," and that Xbox is "operating at margins that are 3-10× lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses." She goes on to acknowledge that Xbox sales for the Series X|S console generation has been low, and that Xbox used Game Pass, multi-platform launches, and an expanded content portfolio as an attempt to compensate for the low install-base and in order to grow the brand's presence.

As part of the plan to "reset" Xbox, Sharma confirmed that Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions will become independent studios, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will be bought out and have started the acquisition process to be bought out by new ownership, where Senua and State of Decay 3 will continue development. Xbox is also looking to cut Arkane Lyon loose, although it doesn't seem as though a definitive plan has been put in place yet. Unspecified changes are also coming for Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios, but Sharma has promised that these changes will not impact publicly announced first-party games. The restructuring will also result in a simplification of management at Xbox, with management layers reduced to a maximum of five and three where possible. Sharma claims that the "flatter organization" will help build success at Xbox, and she plans a "50% reduced vendor spend," across the company.

Most gamers and PC enthusiasts are exposed to just two editions of client Windows 11—Windows 11 Pro, and Windows 11 Home, and assume that power users are served the former by Microsoft. It turns out that Microsoft built an edition of Windows 11 that sits halfway between Windows 11 Pro and Windows Server, called Windows 11 Pro for Workstations. This is effectively "Windows 11 Pro Max," and dates as far back as 2021, and as a successor to the 2017 Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations comes with reduced "consumer bloat," don't expect the Start menu to feature sponsored shortcuts to Candy Crush Saga or Netflix. It also comes with several features not found on Windows 11 Pro. To begin with, it supports ReFS (Resilient File System), a successor to NTFS that offers super resilience for fault-tolerant storage spaces. It also has hardware support not found on Windows 11 Pro.

Thanks to a discovery by Windows Central's Zac Bowden, we have learned that Microsoft once developed an operating system codenamed "Aion," entirely dedicated to web-based applications and agentic AI, with no local application installations or usage. In a video dating back to 2024, Microsoft claimed that "Aion is an example of a web-based agent OS that natively integrates Copilot into the core of the shell." Microsoft aimed to create a lightweight, Edge browser-based OS that runs nearly all of its components in the cloud, as web-based applications have become indistinguishable from many local installations. This means the OS would run Office for the web, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and many other applications, as well as third-party web applications.

The OS is centered around Microsoft's Win3 codename, which doesn't share many similarities with the current Windows OS stack, and the Win3 code wouldn't allow Win32 applications to run at all. Since the whole point of this OS would be cloud applications running through the browser, no local apps would be needed, hence no Win32 support. Realistically, this could work on smaller client PCs across offices worldwide as a way to provide most office work functionality with very little computing power, meaning minimal investment in local hardware. While some enterprises might see this as a benefit, storing important files and work, as well as running applications locally, remains very important for many businesses. As a result, the idea didn't make it into any current product that Microsoft offers. Although Microsoft may have foreseen the agentic AI era back in 2024, there wasn't enough demand at the time to launch an operating system like this.

Microsoft released its optional Windows 11 June update a few days ago, featuring package KB5095093. In this release, Microsoft has finally delivered significant performance improvements to its File Explorer application. One of the biggest complaints from Windows enthusiasts was the slow launch speed and poor performance of File Explorer, which is a core Windows application that reflects the state of operating system development and advancement. The performance had degraded over time to the point where Microsoft even started preloading File Explorer to improve launch speeds. However, the KB5095093 update goes a step further by actually addressing the core issues without relying on background preloading tricks to seemingly boost performance.

For example, the Home tab area has received a structural makeover that changes how files are indexed in the Home tab, resulting in a much faster initial launch. Since the Home tab can display connected cloud storage drives, information from pinned folders, and constantly pulls data from the file system, it was the biggest obstacle in delivering a performant File Explorer application. What is currently an optional update for June 2026 will become part of the mandatory update for July 2026, bringing this performance improvement to every Windows 11 PC.

When it was reported that Xbox Game Studios was planning on restructuring in the face of plummeting revenue, which would predictably lead to mass layoffs and studio closures, it seemed as though a handful of studios were at risk of closure. Now, according to an insider source speaking to The Verge, that number has jumped to at least five game studios, including Arkane Studios, the game studio behind Dishonored and the upcoming Marvel's Blade. Allegedly, even before the rumored studio closures and layoffs, Xbox was unhappy with how slowly Blade was being developed and was weighing its options for the future of the game and its studio.

Microsoft is supposedly using up the time leading up to the planned layoff announcement to seek potential buyers for certain studios, including Arkane Studios, although sources say that Marvel's Blade, currently in development at Arkane, would be cancelled with the studio's closure. As many as 1,000 workers will potentially lose their jobs in the upcoming wave of layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox Gaming. Currently, it seems as though the layoffs will take place on July 6, but Microsoft has yet to confirm anything regarding the layoffs.

Following the recent disappointing deliberation by the European Commission on the Stop Destroying Videogames citizens' initiative, the Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921) was a California bill, proposed by Assemblyman Chris Ward, that would force game developers and publishers to make paid video games playable even after they were shut down. Despite things looking positive, with the bill passing the California State Assembly with a 43-16 victory, it has stalled in the second-last phase with a State Senate Committee vote, which saw four members vote yes, three vote no, and three other members abstain. As explained by a Stop Killing Games volunteer, a bill needs a majority "yes" vote in the State Senate in order to pass, which means it only needed three additional votes in the Senate Committee. If it had passed, a final draft would have been created by House and State members and submitted for approval.

In a Reddit post, the Stop Killing Games volunteer also highlighted the movement's determination, stating that the organization had gotten as far as it had with "a U.S. budget of zero dollars. No paid staff in California. No war chest. No in-person lobbying operation," and on a compressed timeline. The SKG movement also had to argue its position against the well-funded ESA (Entertainment Software Association) lobby, who presented a number of alarmist arguments against the bill. Some of the arguments included claims that Minecraft and Call of Duty community servers were "illegal, and they are not in any way affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft, for Minecraft, has gotten a lot of criticism because of those community servers not employing the same safety standards that Microsoft does on their Minecraft servers." despite Microsoft providing the very instructions and resources required to host those community servers.

It was recently revealed that Microsoft is planning a massive round of layoffs at its Xbox Gaming division, with several studios allegedly already on the brink of closure shortly after the news of layoffs broke. Now, according to Wccftech, who attended a virtual press conference by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), over 3,500 unionized Xbox employees are preparing to fight back against the rumored layoffs. Right off the bat, Frank Arce, vice president of CWA District 9, kicked things off by declaring that workers at Xbox, unionized or not, "will not be treated as disposable," with developers and former developers from ZeniMax Online, Activision-Blizzard, and Arkane Austin contributing their experiences and hardships in the gaming industry, with everyone in agreement that Xbox employees needed protections against layoffs, including advanced notice, hiring freezes to allow former employees an opportunity of internal transfers, and strong severance packages where layoffs are necessary.

The union will wait until Microsoft announces the Xbox layoffs before calling Microsoft to the negotiations table—although there have apparently already been hushed internal discussions about the future of the aforementioned studios facing closure. Members who spoke at the meeting were adamant that Xbox workers needed certainty, with Blizzard editor, Alison Veneto, saying that "Everyone at Xbox deserves long-term certainty on where they stand should layoffs happen," and others emphasizing the importance of knowing that, in the event that layoffs are necessary, every other avenue has already been exhausted. CWA higher-ups spoke on the discrepancy between Microsoft's announced intentions and its actions, such as lamenting recent AI-inflicted RAM price hikes when announcing the Xbox Series X|S price increases while simultaneously pouring money into AI investment.

Rumors of sky-high next-gen consoles have been floating around for about as long as the next-gen consoles have been confirmed as in development, but it seems as though Sony CEO, Hideaki Nishino has all but confirmed $900+ pricing for the PS6 in a recent Q&A session following an official Gaming & Network Services meeting. When asked about the sales strategy for the upcoming console generation, which would be the PS6, Nishino replied that, despite recent price increases on PlayStation hardware, "sales are proceeding as planned, and we do not believe that this has led to a decline in customer demand. As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses. At the same time, we are carefully monitoring the market and continuing to evaluate our approach." This suggests that the PS6, and its upcoming portable companion, will likely be priced as low as possible without eating into Sony's bottom line. Instead of chasing a specific price point and using subsidized pricing to reach the lower price, Sony appears to be pricing the PS6 according to what will be competitive and accepted by the consumers at launch.

He went on to say that "it is important for us to make every effort to ensure that customers fully understand the value we provide in relation to pricing," and explaining that "the value of [PlayStation hardware] lies in the experience, not the hardware itself. As a dedicated gaming device, it provides seamless, immediate access to content—unlike general-purpose devices, which involve multiple layers before gameplay." Taken together, especially given the recent news about the return of PlayStation exclusives, the launch pricing of the Steam Machine, and the recent price increases and expected price of the Xbox Helix at Microsoft, it seems as though $1,000 as a starting price for the PS6 is becoming more and more likely. Micron recently announced that, while it has projects in place to try and meet demand for DRAM, it does not see the DRAM crisis ending or significantly easing before 2028. An increased BOM cost for consoles with an increased subsidy from Sony may also accelerate the increase of game prices, since consoles are usually sold as loss-leaders, at least initially, with profits being recouped via games sold for the platform.

On Monday, AMD released its Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 WHQL Drivers to provide day-one game support for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations across all RDNA generations. An interesting feature of this driver is the introduction of FSR Upscaling 4.1 for the RDNA 3 GPU generation. However, users have reported several issues when running this driver on Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system. For users of Windows 10 under the ESU program, or those simply running the operating system that has reached end of life, Radeon RX 7000 series and Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs have not been working properly. This means that the drivers for these GPUs weren't installing at all on Windows 10, which is problematic for enthusiasts still using the older operating system.

In response, AMD has released a hotfix to address this issue. The Adrenalin Edition 26.6.3 Hotfix includes a fix for the "intermittent install issue seen when installing AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 on Windows 10 systems for Radeon RX 7000 series and above graphics products." For those running Windows 10 and experiencing issues, the Adrenalin Edition 26.6.3 Hotfix can be downloaded directly from AMD's website.

Microsoft has already increased the prices of its Xbox Series X|S consoles once in response to the ongoing hardware shortages and prices. On June 25, Microsoft announced that the Xbox console family will receive another round of price increases on August 1, 2026. As of the beginning of August, all 512 GB variants of the Xbox Series consoles will be $100 more expensive than current pricing, and 1 TB Xbox consoles will cost an extra $150 over current pricing. Microsoft will also discontinue the 2 TB Xbox SKUs, likely because pricing simply does not make sense anymore. Microsoft blames the ongoing DRAM crisis for the increases, stating that "console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x, and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027."

As a result of the price increases, the Xbox Series X|S pricing now plays out as follows: 512 GB Series S: $499.99; 1 TB Series S: $599.99; 512 GB Series X Digital: $749.99; 1 TB Xbox Series X $799.99. For comparison, following the recent price increases at Sony, the PS5 costs $649.99, while the PS5 Digital Edition costs $599.99, and the PS5 Pro costs $899.99. The announcement comes weeks before the close of the 2025 financial year at Xbox, with the price increase taking effect almost immediately after the Xbox fiscal year reports are slated to be published. Following the recent PS5 price increases, Sony saw PS5 sales break 2026 records as a result of a buying rush to get in before the price increases. Recent reports also highlighted that significant layoffs are planned at Xbox Game Studios thanks to overall declines in revenue at Xbox.

ASUS and MEWC today announced the Landmark Battle, a special Excel Esports event that combines high-pressure spreadsheet competition with challenges inspired by notable global landmarks. The livestream will take place July 10, 5PM (London Time) on the Excel Esports YouTube channel. The event showcases how ASUS ExpertBook Ultra laptops and ASUS ZenScreen OLED portable monitors enable flexible, high-performance workflows in demanding real-world environments—empowering professionals to stay productive anytime, anywhere.

What was once considered a routine workplace skill has rapidly evolved into a global competitive phenomenon: Excel Esports has turned spreadsheet problem-solving into entertainment for millions of audiences online.

It was recently leaked that Microsoft has "significant" layoffs planned for sometime in July as a result of declining revenue and a shift in the company's gaming strategy. Now, however, a number of former Xbox employees have warned current staff of the potential for retaliation in the upcoming wave of layoffs, according to a recent report by Game Developer. This isn't the first time allegations of unfair treatment have surfaced following layoffs or firings at Xbox, with former Halo Studios art director, Glenn Israel, accusing the gaming giant of harassment and retaliation. Four former Xbox staff members spoke to media, alleging that they were victims of retaliation when they stood up against alleged toxic behavior and were subsequently laid off in a wave of layoffs.

One former employee at an Xbox subsidiary says that they were laid off after they served as a witness in an investigation of a case of verbal abuse by an executive. Following the HR investigation, the executive sought to identify the former staff member during a round of layoffs. Another staff member reported being placed on a performance improvement plan in retaliation for "disrespecting" them, with a threat to accept the PIP or leave the company voluntarily. Another former Xbox employee alleges that an executive at a subsidiary studio retaliated against an employee after she filed an ADA accommodation request for a disability. According to the report, Xbox has not yet responded to these allegations, but Israel, who has spoken publicly about his alleged mistreatment at Xbox, has advised current Xbox staff members who have previously filed reports against higher-ups to record and document evidence and communications and proactively inform HR representatives that redundancy could be considered retaliatory, given the circumstances.

Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of silicon and software IP for the Smart Edge, today announced RealSpace Elevate for Windows, a Microsoft-certified, licensable Windows Audio Processing Object (APO) that enables gaming headset and PC OEMs to deliver fully customizable spatial audio experiences for gaming and entertainment content. RealSpace Elevate expands Ceva's Sense portfolio of audio and sensing technologies, enabling OEMs to deliver richer user experiences across consumer devices.

As spatial audio becomes a standard feature in PC gaming, OEMs are facing increasing challenges balancing performance, differentiation, cost, and integration complexity. Existing approaches, ranging from built-in OS or game engine solutions to third-party branded applications, often limit customization, increase cost, or result in fragmented user experiences not optimized for individual OEM headset product lines.

Microsoft late last week confirmed this year's update to Windows 11, version 26H2. This update would be exclusive to PCs powered by x86-64 processors (compatible processors from Intel and AMD); as devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite and NVIDIA RTX Spark are now on a separate update trunk. If you recall, the company earlier this year released Windows 11 26H1, but the update was exclusive to Windows-on-Arm devices, mainly powered by Snapdragon chips. Although announced at Computex, notebooks and mini PCs powered by RTX Spark aren't currently available, and will be released to market this Fall. OEMs will launch them with Windows 11 26H1.

Windows 11 26H2 won't be a major update involving a total replacement of all system files and migration of the user's environment; rather, it will be a minor update since 26H2 is based on the same code base as 25H2. The update would be effortless, take no longer than a typical monthly Patch Tuesday update, and simply roll up security and quality updates released till that time. The update to 26H2 will be recommended because Windows will release security updates to Windows 11 versions going back two years—in this case, 24H2 and 25H2 besides 26H2. Businesses looking to lock in on a particular version would have to look out for Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC versions, which lock on to a particular kernel code base, and gather security updates until a specified date in the future.

If readers recall, earlier this year in mid-March, Microsoft stopped automatically installing its Microsoft 365 Copilot App on Windows 11 by default. Instead, the company decided to leave this option to users, which makes sense considering it is their operating system. However, Microsoft is now reversing this decision after only a few months, once again requiring the installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot application on Windows 11 systems. For those familiar with the regular Copilot application, Microsoft 365 Copilot is the rebranded version of what was originally called Microsoft 365 / Office Hub. This app was introduced alongside the regular Copilot app on Windows 11 systems, offering AI-enhanced Microsoft 365 services.

In a recent note on the Microsoft Admin Portal, the company states that users will have to opt out if they don't want the Microsoft 365 Copilot App installed by default on their system. This means users might end up installing the app without their consent, even if they don't want it on their systems. To remove it, users must do so manually or opt out of the installation, which involves additional steps, particularly for IT admins managing an organization's infrastructure. The company now states, "This change simplifies access to Copilot and ensures users can easily discover and engage with productivity-enhancing features."