Report: Microsoft Has Shelved Windows 10X, Possibly Forever

Windows 10X is ostensibly on the back burner for the time being and may not ever arrive.

Windows 10X won’t be launching anytime soon, if ever, because Microsoft is pouring its resources into a Windows 10 update with a refreshed interface code-named “Sun Valley.”

Windows 10X Isn’t Coming to Market?

Microsoft promised Windows 10X would be shipping in Spring 2021.

But plans have reportedly changed because the ill-fated software has apparently been shelved before it ever launched. Apparently, that’s because Microsoft has been too busy working on a new Windows variant slated to come down the pike later this year.

According to a story from Petri.com:

As we head into Spring 2021, the plans are changing again for the OS. According to people familiar with the company’s plans, Microsoft will not be shipping Windows 10X this year and the OS as you know it today, will likely never arrive.

As a result, Windows 10X is on the back burner for the time being.

What Is Windows 10X?

Windows 10X is a variant of Microsoft’s operating system designed for use on the Surface Neo (Microsoft’s folding device), dual-screen devices, and other multi-screen form factors.

The operating system shares basic technologies with the regular Windows edition, including core OS features and the NT kernel. It builds on top of that with a reworked user interface that’s optimized for touch input and specific interactions on dual-screen phones and tablets.

Related: How to Make Windows 10 Run Faster

Windows 10X was supposed to come with a redesigned Start menu that gets rid of tiles. That being said, however, the project was marred by various challenges from the get-go.

Windows 10X was originally announced in October 2019 as Microsoft’s answer to Google’s Chrome OS. But after just six months, Microsoft admitted the initial version of Windows 10X would only work on single-screen devices, like clamshell laptops and 2-in-1 PCs.

Has Microsoft Killed Windows 10X?

And now we learn that this exciting project may have been shelved indefinitely, which is a shame. Keep in mind that this is just a rumor based on information from people who are supposedly familiar with the matter. Microsoft on its part has not officially announced that it’s abandoning Windows 10X yet.

It’s entirely possible that work on Windows 10X could resume after Microsoft finishes a visual overhaul of the desktop Windows 10 editions and gets its wind back.

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