Windows 11 launches for free in October, promising “the best Windows ever for gaming”

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 will be a free download and will start rolling out from October 5.

In a new post on the official Windows blog, Windows marketing GM Aaron Woodman stated that the free upgrade to Windows 11 will begin rolling out on that date to eligible Windows 10 PCs.

Woodman also stated: “Windows 11 delivers the best Windows ever for gaming and unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware with technology like DirectX12 Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR.”

Windows 11 will have a new Microsoft Store rebuilt with a new design to make it easier for users to find apps and games.

At some point after launch the OS will also support the ability to launch Android apps, meaning users will be able to play Android games on their PC as well as their phone or tablet.

Microsoft announced in June that Windows 11 will include the Auto HDR and DirectStorage functionality currently enjoyed by Xbox Series X/S owners.

An article on Xbox Wire explained how Windows 11’s gaming features will include the Xbox Series X/S tech to improve the gaming experience on PC.

Auto HDR will automatically add High Dynamic Range (HDR) image enhancements to any games built on DirectX 11 or higher, even if they previously only featured Standard Dynamic Range (SDR). This will allow for a wider range of brightness values and colours, making the image more vivid.

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Windows 11 will include Xbox’s Auto HDR and fast game loading features

Users with high performance SSDs will be able to use the same DirectStorage tech from Series X/S

Windows 11 will also includes DirectStorage, which is part of the Xbox Velocity Architecture featured in Series X/S consoles.

DirectStorage lets games quickly load assets to the graphics card without putting strain on the CPU, meaning titles can feature detailed game worlds at extremely fast speeds without long load times.

Players will need to have “a high performance NVMe SSD and the proper drivers” to access DirectStorage, and Windows 11 PCs marked ‘DirectStorage Optimised’ will be sold to let those buying a new computer know if it’s compatible out of the box.