The Start menu also looks nice and
clean compared to the mess of tiles it
was in Windows 10, though as a
consequence it does end up feeling less
functional. Why is the button you click
to see more of your apps is so small?
And why didn’t Microsoft make it more
customisable on the whole? The
unspoken answer may be that the Start
menu is nearly worthless when you can
more quickly launch applications by
pressing the Windows key and typing a
couple of letters, but as it is now it feels
like a half-thought-out redesign.PROMISES, PROMISES
Aside from the new aesthetic, the few
big features Microsoft talked about in its
presentation this summer – especiallythe ones to do with gaming – just aren’t
here yet. Things like support for
DirectStorage and AutoHDR will be
added later on. Game developers need
to implement the
DirectStorage API
for it to work, which
means on launch
day this feature is
going to do nothing
for your gaming
experience, even if
you have the
necessary speedy
NVMe SSD. You’ll need an HDR monitor
to use AutoHDR as well, and even then
we’ve yet to see what this will really look
like on PC – although it has had some
successes on the Xbox Series S/X.ABOVE: (^) The Microsoft
Store has had a
facelift, but you’ll
probably never use it
anyway. Notice the
rounded corners.
BELOW: (^) Windows 11’s
pringle backgrounds
are some abstract
nonsense, but at least
they make a change
from Windows 10’s
boring effort.
The good newsis thatupgradingto
Windows 11 shouldn’tundulyaffectyour
gaming performance.We’ve
benchmarked a rangeofgameson
different machinesandhavehad
surprisingly few issues.OnlyCivilization
VI’s AI test was notablyslower,withthe
Windows 11 cominginhalfa second
slower than the Windows 10 run.
Elsewhere, it’s generallyquicker.
Though only slightlyquicker.It hastobe
said that any performancedifferences
have been withinthemarginsof
benchmarking error,sowecan’t
necessarily give Microsoftthethumbs
up to its claims ofthisbeingthebest
Windows ever forgaming.
But it’s not badforgamingeither.At
this early point inanoperatingsystem’s
lifetime, relative frameratestasiscan
definitely be countedasa win.
The long and shortofit is:Rightnow
Windows 11 is good,andit’llbeeven
better when its firstupdatearrivesina
fewmonths.But
rightnow,this
makeoverisn’t
worththe
potentialhassleof
installingit onyour
machine.Holdoff
untilthefirstbig
updatedropsin
spring,whichwill
bring with it the featureswe’vebeen
waitingfor.Bythenthereshouldbeless
teethingproblems,too.
Alan Dexter, WesFenlon,
Dave James
PRETTY SOON
YOU’LL GET
USED TO THE NEW
AESTHETIC
FACE-OFF Windows 10 vsWindows 11
TESTRIGSTATSCPU:INTELCOREI710700K/MOTHERBOARD:MSIMPGZ490GAMINGCARBONWIFI/GRAPHICSCARD:NVIDIARTX 3060 TIFOUNDERSEDITION/MEMORY:32GBCORSAIRVENGEANCERGBPRO
DDR4-3200 / SSD: 1TB SK HYNIX GOLD P31 / COOLER: CORSAIR H100I RGB PRO XT / CHASSIS: DIMASTECH MINI V2 / OS: WINDOWS 11 BUILD 22000.194
CivilizationVI FarCryNewDawn HorizonZeroDawn MetroExodus Shadowofthe
TombRaider
TotalWarThree
Kingdoms
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Windows 11
AverageFPS
MinimumFPS
Windows 10
AverageFPS
MinimumFPS
All games
played at 1440p,
ultra settings
109
76
107
79
105
69
109
64
87
71
83
63
75
46
69
40
107
36
98
75
55
48
55
48
(FPS)
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