Windows 11 has officially surpassed Windows 10 to become the most widely used desktop operating system
According to the latest data from StatCounter, reported by Windows Central, Windows 11 now holds the title of the most used desktop operating system in the world. Nearly four years after its launch, Windows 11 has captured 52 percent of the market share, surpassing Windows 10, which now sits at 44.59 percent,according to The Verge.
This marks a significant shift in desktop OS usage. Although Windows 11 became the most popular operating system among PC gamers in September, broader adoption across all users had been slower. Leaked data from October 2023 showed that over 400 million devices were running Windows 11 at the time. However, this pace was notably slower than Windows 10, which reached the same milestone in just one year, while it took Windows 11 two years to achieve it.
Much of the hesitation to upgrade can be traced to Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements. While Microsoft offered a free upgrade path for most Windows 10 users, millions of older devices were deemed incompatible due to the new CPU and security standards, including the need for TPM 2.0. This led to many users being left behind unless they upgraded their hardware. Microsoft has been pushing users toward Windows 11, even using full-screen prompts to encourage upgrades on compatible machines.
Windows 10 will officially lose support on October 14th. To ease the transition, Microsoft announced it will offer a free year of extended security updates to users who agree to use Windows Backup and sync their documents to OneDrive. For those unwilling to opt in, Microsoft will charge $30 for a year of updates or allow users to redeem 1,000 Microsoft Reward points for continued protection.
With Windows 11 now installed on approximately 70 percent of actively supported Windows PCs, Microsoft appears to be successfully phasing out Windows 10, aligning with its broader strategy to modernize the Windows ecosystem ahead of the support deadline.
