It appears that Windows 12 could be on its way to grace our gaming PCs sooner rather than later. While there’s no official word from Microsoft yet, comments by Intel CFO Dave Zinsner point to the imminent arrival of something big for the operating system series.
While the notion of Windows 12 may seem abnormal at first, given how little time has passed since the release of Windows 11, it’s not so unorthodox of an idea upon closer examination. In fact, Microsoft stuck to a three-year release pattern for every version of the operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 10, with the latter enjoying an abnormally long six-year gap between its successor.
While previous rumors have pointed to the Windows 12 release date falling sometime in 2024, new comments made by Intel CFO Dave Zinsner may strengthen these claims further. Speaking at the Citi 2023 Global Technology Conference (via Seeking Alpha), Zinsner said he believes “[2024] is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular, because of the Windows refresh.”
“And we still think that the installed base is pretty old and does require a refresh, and we think next year maybe the start of that, given the Windows catalyst. So we’re optimistic about how things will play out beginning in ’24.”
Given that Windows 10 support ends in 2025 and Windows 11 adoption has been somewhat tepid, another upgrade path could coax users on to a more modern operating system. Microsoft has already scrapped Windows 7 and 8 upgrades, after all.
Time will tell whether Zinsner is referring to an entirely new version of Windows, or a significant overhaul similar to Windows 8.1 or the service packs of old. In the meantime, check out our guide on how to install Windows 11 if you’re yet to upgrade.