Then, Microsoft unveils a new technology coming to the earth with an announcement that has stirred the whole world of PC gaming and even raised a few sighs depending on the person you are asking. They have literally assured a major upsurge in performance for Windows 11, specifying gaming as the sector most benefited. They are saying they are “committed to making it the best place to play,” which has been heard before, but the difference is now, they are giving a timeline, and it is 2026.
The announcement by that time states that the gamers will be able to experience an array of technical enhancements. Better management of background tasks is one of the improvements that will allow your gaming to take the CPU time over more than a dozen other processes. Power and scheduling improvements, graphics stack optimization, and a dozen new drivers are among the improvements. Actually, the whole requirement is just the optimization of Windows 11 for the next-gen Xbox console, and it is a pretty rational requirement—make the PC side quick and smooth before launch of the new console.
Yet, this is the issue and you do not need to go through many replies to find it: PC gamers are… doubtful. I am not talking just about being mildly doubtful. A player quoted: “I am losing 12-25 FPS in games because of Windows 11. It is crazy how this OS can be so bloated.” That hurts! The same sentiment was everywhere and another comment was “Doesn’t this happen every year? These so-called updates yet Windows gets worse.” It is a loop that has no end; man! Promise, update, sometimes matters get weird.
The online reaction reflected the divided opinions of the people—hoisting up the expectation but at the same time, feeling despair, and even some memes. A good portion of the comment concentrated on what Microsoft isn’t saying or what they could be adding that wouldn’t be liked by the players. A response that got quite popular was a joke about the actual list of improvements, ironically adding “AI” to everything: “better background workload management by NEW AI algorithms… graphics stack optimizations via local LLM.” It is an obvious criticism of Microsoft’s mania that keeps going for stuffing AI, or as one irate customer termed it, “CoFuckit,” everywhere in the OS.
“Damn! Just get rid of AI. It is so simple,” another player got mad. “Stop the spread of CoFuckit everywhere; let my OS be my fcking OS, Microsoft. The AI part—make it plugins or extra apps that people can install—just don’t mess up the OS with that trash and then make it bloated.” The common idea is that these AI functions which usually need an internet connection and continuous processing are actually “part of the problem” instead of “the solution.” What gamers want is a machine for gaming with no frills and no-nonsense. They want the least amount of services running where another user said. They do not need a digital assistant that takes the resources that are needed for them to get a headshot.
And there are the Linux enthusiasts who are on the other side very much. The announcement practically was an invitation to them to gather around. “No, thanks, it’s Linux time,” one user affirmed. Another mentioned that Linux distributions are gaining more and more popularity in gaming like Bazzite and SteamOS, exclaiming, “Just see M$ is scared of these tools.” There is a growing impression that if Windows keeps becoming heavier and more intrusive, the switch to Linux for gaming will be more and more appealing, even with existing hurdles such as the mentioned by a user in a reply Nvidia performance problems.
So what do the gamers actually want? The replies are basically the same as a wishlist. Please, fix HDR. Uninstall the ads and bloatware that come pre-installed. Abolish the intrusive tracking and the insistence on online identities just to log into your own PC. “I just want to game, not give you my first-born!” one user exclaimed. And, maybe, just maybe, cut down on WebView2 for the UI, as some tech-savvy people suggested.
There is also a lot of “I’ll believe it when I see it.” One player reminded Microsoft’s promise from years ago that the Xbox App for PC would be enhanced, saying, “There have really been no improvements. Just saying.” Another just sighed, “Won’t keep my fingers crossed.” The level of trust, in fact, is very low at present time. When someone states that they feel like they have heard this promise before, they are correct. The history of Windows updates is full of good intentions and at times tangled executions.
However, amidst the pessimism, a flicker of optimism is found. “I hope so. I wanna keep using window, so better keep up the good work Microsoft,” one user wrote.
