The first Windows 11 preview build will be available to testers in the Windows Insiders programme and aside from the new features noted above, Microsoft also detailed general improvements to the overall user experience, including better touch support.
Following the testing period, it will be released to the general public during the US holiday period, around November or December. The upgrade will be free for eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs, Microsoft said. To check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft said to visit its website and downloadthe PC Health Check app.
Microsoft has also added improvements for gamers, which it said makes the OS the best Windows for gaming. This includes the addition of Xbox Series X and Series S features like Auto HDR, which will be supported on more than a thousand PC games. There is also Direct Storage API optimisation which will let games quickly load assets to the graphics processor without bogging down the CPU. This feature is what enables the quick resume capabilities of the Xbox Series X and Series S.
Microsoft’s video conferencing app Teams has now been integrated into Windows, similar to what Apple does with FaceTime.
Windows 11 Start MenuWindows 11 TaskbarWindows 11 Snap LayoutWindows 11 Teams integrationWindows 11 widgetsWindows 11 will let you download and use Android apps straight from the Microsoft Store, the company’s chief product officer, Panos Panay, has announced. The apps are available thanks Intel Bridge technology and a partnership with the Amazon App Store. Bringing the Android apps on Amazon’s app store to the Microsoft Store will vastly increase the number of applications available through the platform. Microsoft also announced that the store itself will see a complete revamp, having been rebuilt from the ground up specifically for speed. Android apps will operate like standard Windows desktop apps and will be able to take advantage of Windows 11’s new window snapping functionalities — Snap Layouts and Snap Groups. Similarly, you will also be able to pin them to the taskbar, or onto the Windows Start menu. Windows 11 will roll out as a free upgrade beginning in December and continuing into 2022. Microsoft announced that the first Insider Previews of Windows 11 will be made available from next week.
