We still don’t know what’s next for Windows, though we will almost certainly find out at Microsoft’s event on June 24. Both Nvidia and Microsoft are urging users to upgrade to the latest, lest they get left behind in unsupported software land.
Microsoft announced the retirement date for Windows 10, making us all the more curious about what’s next for the most widely used operating system. Microsoft will cease support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025, so you’ll have about four years to upgrade.
Microsoft announced the change by updating its support page, which was spotted by Thurrot. Windows 10 Home and Pro, the two variations bundled on machines, were released in July 2015. The retirement date falls a few months after the 10th anniversary.
Nvidia announced in a support bulletin that it is dropping support for its Game Ready Driver on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 machines beginning October 2021. As a result, the last official update for those operating systems will arrive on Aug. 31, 2021.
The company said it’s shifting focus to supporting Windows 10 and later versions of Windows. Drivers for those older versions of Windows will continue to receive critical security updates through September 2024.
There are still an estimated 15% of Windows users on Windows 7 and about 5% on Windows 8 and 8.1. Originally surfaced by Bleeping Computer, Steam’s latest Hardware & Software Survey shows a smaller percentage of PC gamers on older versions of Windows, which bodes well for the coming transition, at least in the gaming realm. You’ll have three years to update your operating system before your Nvidia graphics card is rendered unsupported.
All this leads us to ponder: What is coming at the end of the month? Will it be an entirely new version of Windows, or simply the aesthetic makeover that’s been rumoured thus far? Will Windows 11 be an overhaul built for the next generation of screens and devices? We don’t have much longer before we find out. In the meantime, if you’re still using Windows 7, well — it’s time.