Windows 11 came out 6 years after Windows 10, but the next big OS update might come a lot sooner than expected. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Windows Central claims that Microsoft will adopt a three-year OS release cycle, meaning that Windows 12 could become official as soon as 2024.
2024 is bringing a major OS update for Windows 11, but it is unclear if it is going to be Windows 12 or simply a new version of Windows 11. Microsoft is also planning to increase the frequency of releasing new features for current Windows users.
Microsoft has already introduced “Moments” (internal name) with Windows 11 22H2, an update that lets engineers seed big features to existing users without any major updates. This allowed Microsoft to add the weather button on the Windows 11 taskbar. The update is also called Sunny Valley 2.
Sunny Valley 3 was rumored to arrive sometime in 2023, but that plan has reportedly been scrapped and the update is scheduled to release in 2024 instead. It is unclear whether it will release alongside the next major OS upgrade.
This new method of rolling out Windows updates would allow users to get new features a lot quicker than before without having to wait for major OS updates. This will also give developers more time to test features for issues before an official release.