Microsoft might actually make Windows 11 good as the company promises to roll back AI features and improve performance

Occasionally, there’s some Windows news that gives a little glimmer of hope for the operating system. A recent statement from Microsoft, however, does not mark such an occasion—not because it’s bad, but rather because, for a change, it offers far better than a mere glimmer. This is Microsoft actually promising to deliver on all the main bases that we’ve been asking for over the last few years.

The blog post, written by Microsoft’s Windows president Pavan Davuluri, kicks it off with exactly the right tone: “I want to speak to you directly, as an engineer who has spent his career building technology that people depend on every day.” And then an admission that people “want [Windows 11] to be better.”

That’s a great start, admitting there’s a problem, but what’s to be done about it? The sceptic in me, that’s been conditioned by the last few years of Microsoft messaging, braced for ‘more AI.’ But Microsoft is promising no such thing. Instead, it’s promising exactly the kinds of changes that we’ve been arguing for here at PC Gamer, along with half of the web. These will be previewed in Windows Insider builds over the next month or so.

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More taskbar customization, including vertical and top positions
Integrating AI where it’s most meaningful, with craft and focus
Reducing disruption from Windows updates
Faster and more dependable File Explorer
More control over widgets and feed experiences
A simpler, more transparent Windows Insider Program
Improved Feedback Hub, available starting today

In addition to these and some other specific changes, Microsoft explains that it will be making general improvements to performance, something I’m particularly happy to hear. For instance, it’s “moving more experiences”, such as the start menu, to WinUI3, a native UI framework that should be much snappier than WebView and React apps. It’s also promising to improve file explorer latency and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) performance.

Getting back to the list, Microsoft’s AI note might sound a little vague, but the company explains that it actually involves rolling back some AI features where they’re not needed: “As part of this, we are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.”

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Windows update promissory is also pretty concrete. The new idea for Windows update, Davuluri says, “includes the ability to skip updates during device setup to get to the desktop faster, restart or shut down without installing updates and pause updates for longer when needed, all while reducing update noise with fewer automatic restarts and notifications.”

This, and more, constitutes Microsoft’s “commitment to Windows quality”, and is certainly a better direction than banning the word ‘Microslop.’ It’s also better than feeding us said slop, such as by making “every Windows 11 PC an AI PC”, of course.

The change in focus isn’t completely out of the blue, given that Davuluri had previously said that this year, “you will see us focus on addressing pain points we hear consistently from customers: improving system performance, reliability, and the overall experience of Windows.”

(Image credit: Future)

The problem was that this was a little hard to believe, given all the previous—yes, slop-heavy—updates and general decline in performance. I concluded my previous reporting on Davuluri’s statement by hedging my bets, saying the changes are promising “assuming it’s not all talk.”

Well, it seems it is, indeed, not all talk, as Microsoft has gotten specific about what’s being changed, and it’s exactly what is needed: less AI, better performance, more customisability. And we won’t even have to wait too long for it. Could this signal a return to form for Microsoft’s OS? I sure hope so.