Windows 11 is Getting Its Biggest Update in 2 Years With Several New Features

It has been nearly 2 years since we got a major Windows 11 update. We did receive the 23H2 update, but the only change it brought was the clock for security updates. It did not have any effect on the operating system.

Now we are getting the 24H2 update, which is set to roll out in phases to those that are running 22H2 or 23H2.

What’s New in Windows 11

Talking about features, the 24H2 update offers a new Energy-Saver mode that will replace the old Battery Saver mode. Support for USB4 2.0 ports with speeds up to 80 Gbps, WiFi 7, new text labels for everyday options like copy-paste in the right-click/context menu, and some further customization on how the Quick Settings panels work.

The overhauled Recall Feature, a better search function for Windows, a Super Resolution feature in the Photos App that helps enhance old blurry pictures,  generative fill, and other features in the Paint app are coming too.

But if you want these features you will need the Copiolit+ program, which only works with eligible devices. The minimum system requirements for these eligible devices are 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Also a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

Other than UI changes and app updates, Microsoft has stated that 24H2 will also include updates for the compiler kernel and scheduler. It will also improve performance and compatibility for Prism, their new Arm-to-x86 app translation layer. This update has been available on the release page of Window Insider since May, meaning it is stable enough to perform day-to-day tasks.

24H2 doesn’t change any system requirements which means that PCs from 2018 and newer should be able to run it. On the other hand, requirements for unsupported installs have now increased.

24H2 will now only boot on 64-bit PCs that support the SSE 4.2 instruction set. Intel added SSE 4.2 support in their older 1st gen Core CPUs in 2008, while AMD added it in 2011 in their Bulldozer architecture. So the 64-bit Intel Core 2 and AMD Sempron and Athon are getting a cut, these CPUs could open the older Windows 11 in a scrap.