This week’s Microsoft information recap is right here with unhealthy information for avid gamers, costlier Xbox consoles, no new Home windows 11 builds, a pleasant assessment of a pleasant gamepad, some Home windows 11 model 24H2 information (good and unhealthy), attention-grabbing Home windows trivia, and extra.
Fast hyperlinks:
- Home windows 10 and 11
- Home windows Insider Program
- Updates can be found
- Opinions are in
- Gaming information
- Nice offers to test
Home windows 11 and Home windows 10
Right here, we discuss all the pieces taking place round Microsoft’s newest working system within the Secure channel and preview builds: new options, eliminated options, controversies, bugs, attention-grabbing findings, and extra. And, after all, chances are you’ll discover a phrase or two about older variations.
It’s the first week of the month, which suggests it’s time for some contemporary stats. Statcounter printed new information about Home windows 11 conquering the desktop PC market. It at present holds 43.72%, whereas Home windows 10 is now inside shut vary, sitting at $52.94%. On the browser aspect, although, issues are rather more stale, exhibiting how close to unattainable it’s to make a dent in Chrome’s market share. Lastly, amongst video games, Home windows 11 is doing nicely, additional growing its dominant place.
Along with asserting the broad availability of Home windows 11 model 24H2, Microsoft confirmed a brand new identified difficulty. The corporate notified customers that 24H2 may fail with error code 0x80240069 when updating from variations 23H2 and 22H2. Sadly, as of proper now, there aren’t any workarounds for this drawback, however the firm guarantees to launch a repair as quickly as potential.
Talking of different points in Home windows 11 model 24H2, prospects discover it progressively extra irritating that the working system encrypts drives with BitLocker by default, with out asking and even notifying. A prolonged publish on Reddit reveals buyer frustration over the misplaced information brought on by automated BitLocker encryption. Loads of rants have additionally been noticed on Suggestions Hub over the elimination of the oobebypassnro command, and a few attention-grabbing discussions concerning the improved File Explorer efficiency within the latest Home windows 11 updates.
Different Home windows tales embody updates for Validation OS (DISM, WPF, .NET upgrades), an attention-grabbing app based mostly on Microsoft tech for saving disk area, updates to the passwordless expertise for brand spanking new Microsoft Accounts, just a few causes from Microsoft why Home windows 10 customers ought to replace to Copilot+ PCs, and a giant low cost on Home windows 365 for first-time prospects.
Right here is a few attention-grabbing trivia: a veteran Microsoft software program engineer printed an attention-grabbing weblog publish explaining why having a stable shade background would gradual Home windows 7 login time again within the days of this legendary working system. Additionally, do you know that an official cyberthreat tune almost broke Home windows PCs as soon as?
To complete this week’s Home windows part, listed below are 5 issues in Home windows 11 that also grind my gears almost 4 years after the launch of the working system. They embody damaged darkish mode, automated theme switching, Management Panel-Settings, and extra.
Home windows Insider Program
Here’s what Microsoft launched for Home windows Insiders this week:
| Builds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Canary Channel | Nothing in Canary | ||
| Dev Channel | Nothing in Dev | ||
| Beta Channel | Nothing in Beta | ||
| Launch Preview Channel | Nothing in Launch Preview | ||
Regardless of the no-build week, fanatics nonetheless found some attention-grabbing stuff in Home windows 11. The newest Home windows Server 2025 construct comprises a brand new “Superior” settings web page, which replaces the previous “For Builders.” It now has improved grouping and a few new options coming from the now-deceased Dev Residence app.
Updates can be found
This part covers software program, firmware, and different notable updates (launched and coming quickly) delivering new options, safety fixes, enhancements, patches, and extra from Microsoft and third events.
If in case you have a number of audio gadgets hooked as much as your pc, you may discover this small utility helpful. SoundShift helps you to configure audio enter/output machine pairs and assign customized keyboard shortcuts to change between them with out opening the Settings app. SoundShift is well-made and general, seems like one thing straight from PowerToys.
Clients with ARM-powered Home windows PCs can now use Windhawk, a well-liked modding software with a repository of helpful tweaks for the working system and apps. Within the newest replace, model 1.6, Windhawk acquired native ARM64 help and varied enhancements.
This week’s Workplace updates embody a bunch of latest options for varied apps. Excel for Mac, for one, acquired a well-liked characteristic from its Home windows counterpart, which lets you edit a number of worksheets side-by-side. PowerPoint acquired reworked placeholders with improved feel and look.
As common, we had a bunch of browser updates (huge and small) launched this week. Microsoft pushed Edge 136 to the Secure Channel, bringing safety fixes, characteristic adjustments, and extra. Mozilla, on its aspect, launched Firefox 138. The replace launched extra Home windows 11 UI components, a profile supervisor, tab teams for all customers, and extra. Shortly after, Mozilla launched Firefox 138.0.1 with some bug fixes and Firefox 139 beta with improved add efficiency and extra.
Listed here are different updates and releases chances are you’ll discover attention-grabbing:
- Microsoft will give Europe a multifaceted increase in opposition to the backdrop of Trump tariffs.
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Microsoft: Our Phi-4-reasoning takes on bigger fashions, matches DeepSeek-R1 efficiency.
Listed here are the newest drivers and firmware updates launched this week:
- Nvidia GeForce Hotfix Show Driver 576.26 with a protracted record of fixes
- Nvidia GeForce Sport-Prepared Driver 576.28 with extra bug fixes.
Opinions are in
Right here is the {hardware} and software program we reviewed this week
The GameSir Tremendous Nova paid a go to for our testing this week, instantly claiming the title of the perfect controller for PC. This gamepad ticks all of the packing containers for PC avid gamers. Properly-built, good supplies, wealthy customizations, attractiveness, sturdy {hardware}, first rate battery life, charging dock, and RGB. It is usually comfy, has good efficiency, and general is simply pleasant to make use of.
On the gaming aspect
Study upcoming recreation releases, Xbox rumors, new {hardware}, software program updates, freebies, offers, reductions, and extra.
Loads of unhealthy gaming information arrived this week. Microsoft, for one, is elevating the worth of all Xbox consoles and equipment. Some Xbox configurations now value $120 greater than earlier than, mirroring the present monetary uncertainty and commerce wars. Controllers and headsets are additionally now notably costlier. Observe which you could nonetheless buy an Xbox or a controller at previous and even decrease costs.
Grand Theft Auto VI is formally delayed (surprising information). Rockstar Video games introduced that its upcoming recreation is now releasing on Might 26, 2026, giving different builders and studios a sigh of reduction to launch their video games in 2025 with out being overshadowed by such an enormous title as GTA.
Spotify Premium customers can now entry their music library whereas taking part in EA Sports activities FC 2025. Spotify introduced a pilot program for avid gamers in Australia and Saudi Arabia. It’d or won’t make it to all supported areas sooner or later.
Forza Motorsport will quickly get its anniversary replace, which is predicted to deliver a long-anticipated observe and much more content material. Extra importantly, Replace 20 will make Drivatar AI extra practical, due to a brand new coaching mannequin that Flip 10 Studios detailed in a brand new publish. Because of this, single-player avid gamers will see higher side-by-side racing (particularly in heavy site visitors) with out random or erratic habits outdoors the optimum line.
Nvidia introduced new video games for the GeForce NOW streaming service. They embody DOOM: The Darkish Ages, Deadzone: Rogue, Far Cry 4, DREDGE, LONESTAR, ANNO 1800, and extra. Needless to say that you must personal these video games to play them on GeForce NOW.
Contemporary titles are additionally obtainable in Prime Gaming, together with Wolfenstein II, Amnesia: Rebirth, and lots of extra.
Offers and freebies
The Epic Video games Retailer is gifting away the arcade shooter Tremendous Area Membership. It’s up for grabs till subsequent Thursday, so go get it. As common, extra offers and freebies can be found on this week’s Weekend PC Sport Offers article.
Different gaming tales embody the next:
- FromSoftware printed the system necessities for Elden Ring Nightreign on PC.
- Valve launched Steam Proton 10 Beta 1 with extra AAA video games, fixes for a number of CPUs, and extra.
- Digital Arts confirmed huge layoffs and the tip of the brand new Titanfall venture.
Offers
Each week, we cowl many offers on completely different {hardware} and software program. The next reductions are nonetheless obtainable, so test them out. You may discover one thing you need or want.
- Klipsch Reference R-40 PM Powered Bookshelf Audio system – $298 | 20% off
- Apple iPad 11 A16, 128GB, Wi-Fi – $299 | 14% off
- Apple iPad Air 13-inch, M3, 256GB, Wi-Fi – $799.99 | 11% off
- 1TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus PCIe SSD – $69.99 | 36% off
- AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 6-core, 12-thread AM5 Processor – $185 | 34% off
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT 8-core, 16-thread AM4 Processor – $124.99 | 50% off
- 4TB WD_Black SN7100 NVMe SSD – $269.99 | 16% off
- 15-inch HP Victus Gaming Laptop computer – $489.99 | 13% off
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Lexar 4TB SL500 Moveable SSD – $259.49 | 26% off
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34-inch MSI Optix MAG342CQR gaming monitor – $219.99 | 15% off
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