Because hundreds of millions of users still won't upgrade
Recap: Windows 10 technically reached end-of-life last October, and analysts say users have been migrating to Windows 11 in large numbers – but potentially millions are stubbornly holding on to the older OS. Microsoft appears to have quietly acknowledged that reality by tacking on another year to Windows 10's critical security support window.
SteamOS 3.8.10 is one of Valve's most significant OS updates yet, squarely aimed at hardware beyond the Steam Deck. The update adds support for the Steam Machine and third-party handhelds including the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw. Radeon gaming desktops can already run SteamOS via the recovery image – Nvidia support is still in the works.
Don't like the overpriced Steam Machine? Just build your own and put SteamOS in it
Forward-looking: Valve's Steam Machine signals the company's willingness to push Steam beyond software and into a proper hardware platform. But hardware is only half the story. Alongside gaming devices, Valve has been quietly laying the groundwork for something potentially more significant: a version of SteamOS that runs on just about any PC you care to throw at it.
Combines Android, ChromeOS, and Gemini. Coming this fall
In brief: Years of leaks and statements from Google have teased the company's plans for ChromeOS to evolve into a more direct competitor to Windows and macOS. Googlebook represents a first major step in that direction. Centered on Gemini, the new OS brings Android's software stack into a full-blown PC environment.
Winhanced gives Windows gaming PCs a cleaner, more console-like experience by combining launchers, controller navigation, and system tools into one streamlined interface. Originally built for handhelds, it's also gaining traction on desktop and living room setups as an alternative to juggling Steam Big Picture, Xbox, and multiple launchers.
Low Latency Profile early numbers are promising: 40% faster app launches, 70% snappier menus
Cutting corners: Microsoft has a giant Windows problem, but developers are reportedly hard at work to significantly improve the operating system in critical areas, tackling things like overall responsiveness and CPU utilization. New details have emerged about one of those changes.
Bazzite 44 is a big one. Built on Fedora 44, this gaming-focused Linux distro lands with KDE Plasma 6.6 and Gnome 50, the OGC kernel 6.19, and Mesa 26.0.5 for better GPU support across Vulkan and OpenGL titles. The release also strengthens security with signed ISOs and updates bundled tools.
Microsoft built Windows 11 around web wrappers and Electron apps. Now it's trying to undo that.
TL;DR: Microsoft is trying to repair Windows 11's reputation and overhaul its app ecosystem, and both efforts center on one idea: get back to fundamentals and make the OS feel like a fast, coherent, native-first platform again. That shift runs from Satya Nadella's pledge to "win back fans" to internal engineers publicly declaring that "Native apps are back!" for Windows 11.
Editor's take: As Microsoft builds Copilot AI deeper into Windows, the move is rekindling debate over how much control any one company should exercise over the computing environment that so many people rely on. For Mozilla, that question has become a renewed challenge to Microsoft's dominance over the desktop and its implications for competition.