The Hot Take: Well look at that! Probably was because of the memory crunch so they wanted to head off flak but they got it anyway.
Microsoft has quietly retracted its own documentation that suggested 32GB RAM is the âno worriesâ upgrade for gaming, and 16GB RAM is the baseline. This support document was likely written using a large language model, and Windows Latest first spotted it before it was taken down. Microsoft also nuked a document that recommended Copilot+ PCs for gaming.
Microsoft has a âLearning Centerâ where it publishes guides and marketing articles to promote various Windows features, and these rank well in search results. Itâs mostly used by Microsoft to push a narrative and also make it easier for users to make a choice when they search the web.
In the first week of April, Microsoft quietly published a support document titled âGaming features: What the best Windows PC gaming systems have in common.â
Image Courtesy: WindowsLatest.com
At first, the document might appear to be about Windows 11âs gaming features, but it goes a step further and builds a narrative around the memory requirement.
In the support document, Microsoft clearly notes that:
âFor most players, 16GB RAM is a practical starting point. Moving to 32GB RAM helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games. That extra memory also gives newer titles more breathing room as memory demands continue to rise.â â Microsoft.
â16GB RAM is the baseline; 32GB is the âno worriesâ upgrade,â the company concluded in the support document, which was first spotted by Windows Latest.
This was later picked up by other outlets and the gaming community, and it didnât go well with gamers. It wasnât surprising, given that RAM prices are soaring and Windows 11âs obsession with Electron or WebView2 isnât helping.
It also created confusion because Microsoftâs official Windows 11 system requirements still list 4GB RAM as the minimum. However, regular low-end PCs are mostly sold with 8GB of RAM. Recently, Microsoft has been mostly pushing Copilot+ PCs, which mandate 16GB of RAM for AI features.
Now, over the weekend, Microsoft quietly removed the document, redirected the URL to the Learning Centerâs homepage, and also blocked the Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) from surfacing the retracted document. Microsoft wonât tell us what really happened there, but itâs obvious that the company does not want the document to spread further.
Iâve reached out to Microsoft for more details, but havenât heard back at the time of writing this story. However, itâs important to note that this is not the first time Microsoft has tried to sell 32GB RAM as the new normal.
Microsoft also deletes the February 2026 document that recommended Copilot+ PCs for gaming, and advocated for 32GB RAM
In February, Windows Latest spotted a document on the Learning Center that advocated for 32GB RAM for serious gamers, and 16GB for most games.
â16 GB is plenty for most games,â the company said. â32 GB is ideal for serious players who run the most demanding titles or use heavy mods.â
âIf youâd rather skip the part-matching headache, Copilot+ PCs come pre-configured with the latest CPUs, GPUs, and thermal designs tuned for gaming, so you can dive straight into the action,â Microsoft explained in a document.
Now, Microsoft has nuked the February document as well and removed all references to âCopilot+ PCs for gamingâ from the Learning Center.
Itâs actually a good move because Copilot+ PC branding doesnât automatically imply a gaming PC. A gaming laptop can be a Copilot+ PC if it has the required NPU (AI chip), but most Copilot+ PCs are still not optimized for gaming. The flagship Copilot+ PC is a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme hardware, and it cannot run most games natively.
Microsoft linking Copilot+ PCs directly with gaming was misleading, especially for buyers who may assume every Copilot+ PC is built for serious gaming.
What is a âCopilot+ PC?â
Thankfully, Microsoft has removed all documents and recently committed to RAM management improvements.
Windows 11 has a memory problem, largely due to Electron-based apps and WebView2 dominating the app store. Satya Nadella also confirmed that Microsoft is trying to optimize Windows for low-RAM devices and win back fans.
Microsoft is testing as many as 18 improvements, faster startup apps, taskbar, Start menu, File Explorer (explorer.exe) reliability fixes, and a bunch of other changes to help reduce Windows 11âs RAM appetite.
The post Microsoft quietly deletes Windows 11 doc pushing 32GB RAM for gaming after outrage appeared first on Windows Latest
The Hot Take: I plenty of folks that will be happy about this. Slowly becoming Linux more every day.
Microsoft is rolling out Windows Update improvements that give users more control over how updates are installed while reducing disruption from frequent or poorly timed restarts. [...]
Microsoft told Windows Latest that itâs rolling out a new feature that allows you to skip forced Windows 11 updates during device setup (out-of-box experience).
Right now, when you clean install or reinstall Windows 11, or buy a new device, you have to go through a long out-of-box experience, also called OOBE. During the OOBE setup, Windows nags you to set up a Microsoft account, buy Microsoft 365, try Xbox Game Pass, and more.
While itâs unclear when the calmer OOBE without upsells will begin rolling out, Microsoft is already curbing one of the more annoying aspects of the experience: forced updates.
As you might be aware, OOBE goes beyond just upsells and forces you to install newer updates before you can use the device. This can be frustrating, especially if youâre excited to try new hardware right after unboxing it.
I ran into this recently. Last week, I gifted myself an ASUS ROG Ally, and as someone who loved the PSP, I was excited to jump into games on my new handheld running Windows 11. But as soon as I booted it up, Windows forced me to install all pending updates, and I couldnât play anything for nearly an hour. It completely killed the excitement.
Thankfully, Microsoft says itâs aware of the issue and has been testing a new âUpdate Laterâ toggle in OOBE.
The feature was first spotted earlier this year, and itâs now available for everyone in production. All Windows 11 ISOs and recent cumulative updates include the new âUpdate Laterâ toggle.
When you click âUpdate Later,â OOBE instructs Windows 11 to keep checking for updates in the background without disrupting the initial setup experience.
This allows you to go straight to the desktop. Of course, only after youâve gone through the usual prompts and nudges to set up a Microsoft account.
After booting to the desktop, you can open Windows updates and manually pause updates or choose to finish applying all the pending updates.
Microsoft is also testing a calendar view that allows you to pause updates for as long as you want.
Itâs worth noting that this change isnât live yet, and calendar view is currently broken in the preview builds where we tested the feature, but itâll begin rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks.
Microsoft could drop the Microsoft account requirement and reduce upsells in OOBE
In addition to greater control over Windows updates, Microsoftâs senior leadership has suggested that the company is mulling an update that would remove the Microsoft account requirement.
Right now, Windows 11 forces you to set up your PC with a Microsoft account, especially when you use Windows 11 Home. Of course, you can always use Command Prompt, and one of the scripts/commands can help you bypass the requirement and set up a local account, but itâs not the ideal experience, and itâs becoming increasingly difficult.
My Samsung phone also nags me to set up a Google and Samsung account during setup, but I always have the option to skip.
You donât have this experience on Windows 11, but that could change soon, only if the rest of the executives in top leadership agree with the idea.
Moreover, Microsoft has admitted that Windows 11âs OOBE has upsells (ads to promote Microsoft products). In fact, Microsoft recently added web-based Copilot to the OOBE experience, so you could interact with AI while Windows finishes setting up.
Microsoft also added Copilot to Windows 11 OOBE
Microsoft is looking into ways to improve the OOBE experience, which is why the Copilot integration wonât roll out widely. But it doesnât mean the company will drop all upsells in the OS. Instead, it plans to reduce upsells and make the first setup experience calmer, at least better than what we have currently.
How do you think Microsoft should redesign the current OOBE experience of Windows 11? Let me know in the comments below.
The post Tested: Windows 11 setup screen now finally lets you skip forced updates, and go directly to the desktop appeared first on Windows Latest
The Hot Take: I mean really, WHY do they want us on ARM??
Qualcomm has the stars to align for Windows on Arm. The chip is strong enough, and the software situation is improving, so this could be the point where ARM Windows laptops stop being a niche joke and start going mainstream.
The timing for Snapdragon X2 Elite looks spot on, with a faster chip aimed at the Fruity Cargo Cult Appleâs M5 series and the usual x86 crowd, plus Windows on Arm gaining more native apps.
Developers are starting to treat Qualcommâs top-end SoC like a platform worth bothering with, rather than a science project that only runs half their tools. That should have been the point where everyone stopped playing silly games and started building volume.
Instead, a Reddit thread suggests that OEMs shipping Snapdragon X2 Elite machines are leaning into premium pricing to chase margins while the software stack remains fragile. If the pricing stays daft, adoption stays niche, and the whole thing risks stalling before it has properly started.
Redditor Large_Bear_6962 wrote: âDevelopers are less likely to invest their time and effort in an architecture if user adoption is limited. Notebook manufacturers who price their machines out of reach for the majority of buyers are ultimately creating a difficult barrier to entry, which is whatâs currently being faced by the Snapdragon X2 Elite.â
ASUS did not help by launching the Zenbook A16 at $1,599.99, then slapping on a $100 hike after reviews went live, once the hype had done the marketing for them.
The argument is that Windows on Arm has the technical base now, but developers will not spend months optimising for a tiny installed base. If users do not buy the machines, the apps do not arrive, and everyone goes back to pretending emulation is fine.
Not everyone is blaming the laptop brands, because Qualcomm is not exactly running a charity either. It is the only realistic option for Windows notebook makers who want this platform, and it prices its Snapdragon X2 Elite family as if it were already a hit.
There is grumbling that Qualcomm should subsidise early designs to undercut rivals, then make money once volume and app support land. Instead, it charges a hefty upfront premium, making every machine look like a luxury purchase.
There is more noise about Qualcomm being too lax about pushing partners to deliver timely software updates, leaving bugs to fester and souring the user experience. That kind of drift is poison when you are trying to convince developers that the platform is stable.
Apple is sitting there with Apple Silicon MacBooks and a wider software library, which makes premium-priced Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops a harder sell than they need to be. Some âExtremeâ designs are already landing near M5 and M5 Pro money, and that is a nasty place to start a platform fight.
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The Hot Take: Question is - Why do they really want us on AMR instead of x86/CISC chips?
A new powerful chipset has arrived to take on x86 CPUs and Apple's M5, writes Wccftech.
The blog Windows Central writes that "Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors are here" â and they run Windows:
Microsoft has done a massive amount of work to improve compatibility and has also convinced developers to embrace Windows 11 on Arm. Users of Windows 11 on Arm PCs spend 90% of their time on Arm-based apps that run natively. Additionally, apps that do not run natively can often run through Prism emulation, which has improved dramatically since launch...
[A]pp compatibility issues are overblown by many, and unfortunately those sharing false information are the same folks people rely on to make purchases... Works on Windows on Arm maintains a list of compatible apps and games for the platform. There, you'll see well-known apps like Google Chrome, the Adobe Creative Suite, and Spotify. We also have a collection of the best Windows on Arm apps to help you out. Snapdragon X PCs aren't gaming PCs, but there is a growing library of games that can run on the chips.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Hot Take: And the push beings it's fifth or sixth try for Windows & ARM....
Windows 11 on Arm has come a long way, but many reviewers and commenters fall back on horror stories of incompatibility that haven't been true for years.
The Hot Take: Is this the beginning or Ai push back across the market that might include hardware soon?
Microsoft has started stripping Copilot branding out of Notepad in Windows 11, replacing the old Copilot menu with a more generic "writing tools" label. The AI features themselves aren't going away, but Microsoft seems to be backing off the heavy-handed Copilot branding and extra entry points. Windows Central reports: As promised, Microsoft is now beginning its effort to reduce and remove Copilot branding across Windows 11, with the latest Notepad update for Insiders outright removing the Copilot icon and phrasing. Now, the AI menu is simply called "writing tools," and maintains the same functionality as before. Additionally, Microsoft has also removed references to AI in the Settings area in Notepad. Now, the ability to turn on or off these AI powered writing tools are now listed under "Advanced features."
This change is present in the latest preview build of Notepad which is now rolling out to all Windows Insiders. The app version is 11.2512.28.0, and you'll know you have it if you see the Copilot icon replaced with a pen icon instead. [...] For Notepad, it appears Microsoft has opted to replace the Copilot menu with something more generic. It's still the same functionally, but it's no longer leaning on the tainted Copilot brand. Of course, you can still easily turn off all AI features in Notepad if you don't want them. The Verge reports that the "unnecessary Copilot buttons" are also disappearing from the Snipping Tool, Photos, and Widgets.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Hot Take: Trying to win customers over again as many are eyeing Linux alternatives. Only problem, I'm hearing things about Opensource possibly going to subscriptions just like others because coding for free doesn't help peoples bottom lines.
Weren't these supposed to be 'atypical'? Microsoft is preparing another out-of-band update to address its latest problematic update following reports of installation errors.âŚ
The Hot Take: Well that's good, now that seeing Microsoft is going back to discreet applications and not just skins of Microsoft Edge to consume all your RAM. You'd think MS apps would be optimized for each other but I guess the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.
âMicrosoft has resolved a known issue that rendered the classic Outlook email client unusable for users who enabled the Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in. [...]