With Windows 10's end of support approaching, Microsoft wants to convince people to upgrade to Windows 11 or to purchase new PCs that will be in support after October 2025. The tech giant's latest efforts come in the form of a blog post that highlights the gaming advantages presented by Windows 11. Auto HDR and DirectStorage top the list of reasons to game on Windows 11, but there are quite a few features detailed in the post.
"In addition to an unparalleled library of supported games, accessories and hardware, Windows 11 also offers players an exciting array of gaming features that can help enhance your fun on the latest titles, as well as the games you’re already playing," says Microsoft.
Windows 11 has a list of features that make gaming look better and load faster. Below is a quick rundown of the features highlighted by Microsoft:
- Auto HDR
- DirectStorage
- Game Bar Contact Mode
- Dynamic Lighting
- Optimizations for Windowed games
- HDR Calibration app (Exclusive to Windows 11)
- Advanced Hybrid (CASO)/UMA
- Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support
- Color filters for colorblind players
- Automatic Super Resolution for Arm Copilot+ PCs
- Xbox app on Windows PC
Assuming you have hardware that can take advantage of the features, such as a monitor that supports HDR and an NVMe SSD that can utilize DirectStorage, Windows 11 should provide a nice gaming experience.
Game Bar Compact Mode is more for gaming handhelds, so it wouldn't be a factor for those upgrading a laptop or desktop PC. It could, however, help sway someone who has to choose between consoles running SteamOS or Windows 11.
The question is if these features are enough to get people to upgrade their PCs to Windows 11 or to purchase new PCs running the newer operating system. I suspect October will be a telling time for how people will react to the end of support for Windows 10, and I predict millions will choose to continue to use unsupported PCs for at least a while. Gamers may not make up the majority of those remaining on Windows 10, however.
Gaming on Windows 11
The Steam Hardware & Software Survey for November 2024 shows Windows 11 at a 52.48% market share among Steam users. There are many ways to play games on a Windows PC, so Steam's survey does not paint a complete picture. But it gives us a good glimpse of the landscape of PC gamers. Windows 11 did not pass Windows 10 in market share among Steam users until midway through 2024.
Gamers have been relatively slow to adopt Windows 11, though they have upgraded quicker than general users. Statcounter lists Windows 10 at a 61.82% market share right now compared to Windows 11's 34.94% share.
Will Microsoft lower the Windows 11 minimum requirements?
As Windows 10 marches toward its end of support, Microsoft seems eager to convince people to Windows 11. The tech giant will do anything to get more users onto Windows 11, apart from removing the TPM 2.0 requirement that locks millions of PCs from being able to upgrade. That's okay though, according to Microsoft, since you can just buy a new PC!
There was a brief period during which several outlets wrongly claimed that Microsoft now allows users to upgrade PCs that do not meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11 to the new operating system. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden showed how that's not the case, however.
It's always been possible to bypass the requirements and install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, but doing so means your system will not receive official support.
