Windows Weekly 952: You Can See the Edges of the Bubble

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Windows 11 version 25H2 is here, but blink and you might miss the difference from last year! Also, Microsoft just hiked Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $30/month and is leaving gamers everywhere weighing their subscriptions—and their loyalty.

25H2 is here?!

• Microsoft announced that 25H2 is GA! But where is it?
• And what is it? Microsoft has a list of "new" features

More Windows 11

• Microsoft delivers the 24H2 Week D update in Week E
• No, it's not the preview version of 25H2 for some reason
• But it is a massive update. And it is essentially 25H2
• Pavan Davuluri was promoted to president and his first change was to bring Windows engineering back in-house and out of Azure
• Dev and Beta: Minor changes to File Explorer, Quick settings, Get Started
• Photos app is getting AI-based categories
• Windows 10 Extended Security Updates to be free-free in the EU

Snapdragon X2

• It's real and it's really better than almost anything out there. The bad news: Not until next year
• Hardware prototypes point the way for device makers
• Arm is the epiphany we need for everything to just work
• Also, apparently Qualcomm still makes phone chips
• Qualcomm declares "total litigation victory" against Arm Holdings. More like Harm Holdings, ammmi right?

AI

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella steps aside to focus on engineering
• Microsoft enters a new era for Copilot/AI
• "More Copilot" is the new "more cowbell"
• Microsoft 365 Premium is the AI-powered subscription you were looking for, Copilot Pro is out
• This maps neatly to the three app structure model and to Paul's "I will not pay for AI" thing
• Tied to this, Microsoft also announced inside app vibe working updates across Office apps
• Is this also tied to low uptick on paid AI? Report claims just 8 million seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Stevie Bathiche came to Hawaii to talk about the importance of NPUs and on-device AI
• "Directive AI, 80 TOPS NPUs enable concurrent AI, AI agents are the "outside app" structure, Orchestration is evolving
• Copilot users can talk to a cartoon now

Xbox and gaming

• Major revamp to Xbox Game Pass with some good and some bad
• Xbox Cloud Gaming is out of beta after what feels like 17 years, now on all Game Pass tiers
• Game Pass Ultimate gets big price hike but also some improvements
• Game Pass Premium replaces Standard
• Game Pass Essential replaces Core
• Amazon Luna got a big update too
• You can preorder a ROG Xbox Ally Gaming handheld now
• And Microsoft announces how it will handle compatibility
• Costco drops Xbox consoles
• Flight Simulator 2024 is coming to P5 in 2025
• EA goes private for $55 billion

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Videogames are getting expensive
• App pick of the week: Proton Mail
• RunAs Radio this week: HaveIBeenPwned with Troy Hunt
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Compass Box Vellichor
  

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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