If you sideload Windows on your Steam Deck, Microsoft is working to make the experience a lot better.

Word from The Verge says that Microsoft is currently experimenting with a new "handheld mode" for Windows. This Windows handheld mode would allow those who install Windows onto devices like the Steam Deck to enjoy a more streamlined experience.

The report from The Verge cites a leaked video that dates back to September 2022. The video is from an internal hackathon...

You want to be secure, right?

A new update for Windows 11 is in the works from Microsoft that aims to "help protect hybrid work." This new security feature is called Smart App Control and it hopes to prevent you from running malicious software. "Hybrid work" in this case is a combination of work that is done both at home and in-office, something that isn't too uncommon these days.

The new Smart App Control will be built into Windows 11. It will monitor...

This is just one part of the fix however.

Earlier this month, it became apparent that there were some issues with AMD Ryzen performance when using Windows 11. In fact, these issues were present since some of the earliest betas for Windows 11 but they largely went ignored until the operating system's first public release. Some testing showed that system performance could decrease by roughly 15% compared to the same hardware running on Windows 10. At the time, AMD and Microsoft said...

Fixes are in the works, but are not out yet.

If you are using an AMD based CPU and you plan on upgrading to Windows 11, you may want to hold off on that for a little while longer. Hell, I still say that you avoid Windows 11 regardless of your CPU for a good year or more if you can help it as it's just not in a good state right now.

But if you're moving forward with Windows 11 despite this warning, you should be aware that you may experience reduced system performance by...

The new tech is called Wi-Fi Dual Station and it's been designed for gamers.

If you are at all serious about playing games competitively online, chances are you've been told that a wired Internet connection is the way to go. The main reason comes down to the increased latency and potential packet loss that comes with Wi-Fi connections. Now, thanks to the efforts of Valve, AMD, Qualcomm, and a few other companies, Wi-Fi might just be a very viable alternative.

These companies...

So that you can download the Itch.io store.

Microsoft will soon let people download the Epic Games Store through the Microsoft Store. This is actually coming as part of a broader update that will allow for more apps using different frameworks, packaging technologies, and commerce platforms to be discoverable in the Microsoft Store. This update will also allow for third-party storefront apps to be discoverable in the new Microsoft Store on Windows.

This will soon mean you...

Yeah, it's coming in hot.

Microsoft announced that Windows 11 will be released on October 5. As expected, this new release will be available as a free upgrade for those who are using eligible Windows 10 PCs, or those that purchase new hardware with Windows 11 pre-installed. Though I suppose if you're buying new hardware, that doesn't make the Windows 11 upgrade "free" but I digress.

As with most updates from Microsoft, the free upgrade will be released in phases....

Reveal came as the developer preview starts to roll out.

One of the big "selling points" for Windows 11 was how the new operating system would be the "best ever for gaming." One of the big pieces of technology behind this idea was DirectStorage. In short, DirectStorage is a way to feed assets from a drive directly to the GPU without the CPU getting in the way and slowing the process down.

This would lead to faster load times, faster asset streaming,...

Daring Windows Insiders can get their first official taste of 11.

Windows 11 is here, sort of. The new operating system out of Redmond will be officially released later this year for some, and in early 2022 for those looking to upgrade from Windows 10. However, Windows Insiders can download and use an early, pre-release build of Windows 11 right now. Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 to those Insiders in the Dev Channel.

The current build of Windows 11 available to Insiders...

New features include Auto HDR, DirectStorage, and Xbox Cloud Gaming built in.

There are a lot of changes coming with Windows 11 when it launches later this year. Some of those changes focus on the gaming side of things and Microsoft is all too eager to tell us about them.

First up, Microsoft will be including Auto HDR with Windows 11. If you have an Xbox Series X|S, you may already be well acquainted with Auto HDR and the impact it can have on games. Auto HDR in Windows...