Microsoft has officially unveiled its latest operating system, Windows 11, around six years after the launch of the previous version. The new OS will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users and will start rolling out "this holiday", continuing into 2022. Microsoft said it has simplified the design of the Windows user interface, which it describes as “modern, fresh, clean and beautiful” to empower user productivity and inspire creativity.
The main design feature is a new Start menu and updated Start button that are both centred on the taskbar, giving users access to a launcher with apps, recent documents and a separate search interface. New Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops are intended to help users multitask and make the most of their on-screen space.
Microsoft also confirmed that Windows 11 will run Android apps after the company partnered with Amazon and Intel to add the functionality. Starting later this year, users will be able to discover Android apps in the Microsoft Store and download them through the Amazon Appstore, said Microsoft, adding that more information will be available “in the coming months.”
In addition to speed and performance improvements, Microsoft announced that the DirectStorage feature from the Xbox Series will be part of Windows 11 for faster game load times. Xbox Game Pass is also being integrated into the OS via a new Xbox app that allows users to stream games from Microsoft’s cloud, while the Auto HDR feature will add high dynamic range (HDR) to DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games.
Finally, Microsoft said one of the major improved features of Windows 11 is the redesigned Microsoft Store, which, in addition to support for Android apps such as TikTok and Instagram, will support third-party apps such as Microsoft Teams, Visual Studio, Disney+, Adobe Creative Cloud, Zoom and Canva.
Devs allowed to keep '100%' of Windows app revenues
In its Windows 11 launch statement, Microsoft also revealed that developers will be able to use any app framework and will be allowed to keep 100 percent of the revenue via their own payment systems if they want to. “Windows has always stood for sovereignty for creators and agency for consumers, and with Windows 11 we have a renewed sense of Windows’ role in the world,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a separate blog.
However, Microsoft confirmed to website The Verge that the new payment model would not apply to games. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would lower its cut of game revenues in the Microsoft Store from 30 to 12 percent starting on 01 August.
The company has yet to announce an official release date for Windows 11 but said it has worked with Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Surface and others to ensure most new PCs will be ready for the OS across a variety of form factors and price points.
