Microsoft Weekly: new Surface, Windows 11 26H2, and more

This week's news recap is here, with Microsoft announcing Windows 11 version 26H2, launching new Surface devices powered by Snapdragon X2 processors, GTA VI preorder date and cover art, fresh Windows 11 preview builds, a quirky phone-sized e-reader with a physical dial, and more.

Quick links:

1. Windows 10 and 11
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Reviews are in
5. Gaming news
6. Great deals to check

Windows 11 and Windows 10

Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions.

Windows 11 version 26H2 is now official. Alongside Windows 11's new preview builds released this week, Microsoft confirmed version 26H2, which is coming later this year as an enablement package based on the same platform as versions 24H2 and 25H2. A newly published blog post details what IT admins should do to prepare for the upcoming launch.

Next, we have new Windows 11 bugs. Users report that this month's security updates for Windows 11 cause all sorts of issues, including BitLocker bugs, OneDrive issues, black screens of death, and third-party integration in Office apps. Microsoft has not confirmed those yet, but it acknowledged other issues with its operating system. What Microsoft has confirmed is a bug where Recycle Bin delete prompts display internal file names instead of actual ones, and a year-old Windows JScript compatibility bug caused by security-focused engine changes.

Moving to more positive news, Microsoft and Adobe are working on improving Windows performance in popular creative apps like Photoshop. Thanks to SPGO optimizations, users can expect up to 20% better performance.

Finally, we have a few useful articles that can help you recover your PC or make it perform better. For one, we published a guide detailing what to do if your computer cannot boot after a clean Windows 11 install. There are two important steps you can try to get your system back to working in no time. Additionally, there is a more detailed guide on various CPU performance modes that could notably improve performance.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

This week, Microsoft announced its newest Surface devices powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 processors. There is the 12th-gen Surface Pro and the 8th-gen Surface Laptop. Both devices feature little to no visual differences compared to their predecessors from 2024, and most changes hide inside, including a better processor, faster graphics, enhanced NPUs, and more. The Surface Laptop also received a new haptic trackpad.

Mozilla is currently working on a major Firefox redesign, and earlier this week, it published a roadmap of upcoming features and highlights of the upcoming "Project Nova" rework.

Files, one of the best file managers for Windows 10 and 11, has been updated in the Preview channel with a long-requested feature. Tree View is finally available in version 4.1.4, allowing you to quickly browse deeply nested folders without leaving the main view. In addition, the update improved the Windows Fonts folder, allowing you to preview each font without opening the default viewer.

Rufus, another useful Windows 11 utility, also received a notable update. Version 4.15 arrived as beta with important fixes for silent Windows 11 installation. It also includes patches for ARM-based Windows PCs, OneDrive removal improvements, and more.

Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:

• Microsoft faces shareholder lawsuit over masking AI costs and slowing Azure growth

• Microsoft now allows you to tweak Visual Studio to new extremes

• Microsoft brings Planner Agent to all Microsoft 365 Copilot users

• Microsoft fixes one of Excel Copilot's most frustrating limitations

• Microsoft will finally let you sign in to Edge with a Google account

Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

• NVIDIA 610.62 with support for Empulse and various fixes.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week

Earlier this week, we reviewed the DuRoBo Krono, a portable, phone-sized e-reader with some interesting physical controls. This device has an Apple Watch-like dial for page turning, frontlight adjustment, and more. Software is simple and no-nonsense, but it also lacks some useful features and customization. Overall, the device proved interesting, but not flawless.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more.

Forza Horizon 6 received two big updates this week. Alongside the Series 2 content update, developers pushed plenty of bug fixes and balancing tweaks. However, they also had to acknowledge the Eliminator CR-farming exploit and shut down the online mode temporarily. Luckily, only a few days later, another fix arrived, which re-enabled Eliminator and patched the exploit.

Microsoft announced new games for Game Pass subscribers. Those include EA Sports FC 26, Junkster, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Abyssus, RV There Yet?, and more. Some existing games are leaving the catalog, so be sure to check out the full list here. New games are also available for GeForce NOW subscribers, and they include Embers of the Uncrowned Demo, Aphelion, Megastore Simulator, OPERATOR, Citizen Sleeper, and more.

Rockstart Games had plenty of GTA-related news this week. For one, the company gave GTA V players another free update. Those still playing the game on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are no longer required to pay $40 to upgrade to the latest-gen version. More importantly, Rockstar Games revealed the GTA VI cover art and announced the preorder date.

The Epic Games Store is giving away two games: Citizen Sleeper and Roboeat. These two titles are up for grabs until next Thursday, but if they are not up to your taste, you can always check out the latest Weekend PC Game Deal issue, which is usually full of discounts and specials that let you save a lot of money on new games.

Great deals to check

Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need.

• GEEKOM X16 Pro at GEEKOM - $1,119.67 | 17% off

• Acer 4K Webcam for PC/Mac with All-Metal Unibody Sculpted - $59.99 | 14% off

• Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB - $369.99 | 42% off

• Nothing Ear Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth - $73.15 | 51% off

• PowerColor Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9070 16GB - $579.99 | 17% off

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