Windows 10X reportedly delayed — what you need to know

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A report says Microsoft's touch-first Windows 10X isn't launching this year — and it may not launch at all

Windows 10X
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Back in 2019 Microsoft unveiled the Surface Neo, a dual-screen PC powered by a nimble new version of Windows dubbed Windows 10X. But the Surface Neo never launched, and now Petri reports that Microsoft will also hold off on launching Windows 10X this year — if that Windows version ever launches at all.

Built to shine on tablets and low-powered PCs, Windows 10X was pitched as a Windows redesigned from the ground up for touch interfaces, with enhanced security and other new features. It was initially slated to ship on dual-screen devices like the Neo, but during the early days of the pandemic last year Microsoft reportedly shifted gears and planned to roll out Windows 10X on single-screen devices first, with an added emphasis on tapping into cloud computing.

Now it sounds like Windows 10X isn't coming out this year, and if it even ships at all, it won't be in the form we expected. Petri claims to have heard from a source at Microsoft who says the company has put Windows 10X aside to focus on improving Windows 10. 

Windows 10X reportedly delayed

Microsoft's pitch for what Windows 10X would have looked like running on the Surface Neo (Image credit: Microsoft)

The company has reportedly received feedback that customers aren't interested in this new redesigned Windows 10 variant, and would instead prefer to see Windows 10X's most useful features integrated into the core Windows 10 product. 

While Microsoft has yet to officially say so, that line of reasoning makes a lot of sense. Windows 10 is already spread across a diverse array of tablets and 2-in-1 laptops with touchscreens, all of which would benefit from significant improvements to the operating system's touch interface. Hopefully we'll see some improvements in that area in the latter half of this year, when Microsoft is predicted to deliver a big Windows 10 update (branded "Sun Valley") that we expect will bring big changes to the Microsoft Store and give the aging OS a visual makeover.

Alex Wawro
Alex Wawro
Senior Editor Computing

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.