Microsoft is dropping two of the core apps which are installed with Windows 11 by default.
As of Windows 11 preview build 26020 (which has just been unleashed in the Canary channel), the WordPad and People apps have been given the elbow.
Although technically, while the People app itself is being dispensed with, that’s because its functionality (or at least much of it) is being transferred to Outlook for Windows, the new default mailbox app for Windows 11 devices (as of the start of 2024).
In short, you’ll still get the People app (contacts) in that mailbox client, but there’ll no longer be an actual People application that can be fired up separately.
WordPad, on the other hand, is being completely dispensed with, or rather it will be when the changes made in this preview build come to the release version of Windows 11.
Going forward from then, any clean installation of Windows 11 won’t have WordPad, and eventually, this app will be removed when users upgrade to a new version of Microsoft’s OS.
You won’t be able to reinstall WordPad once it has gone, either, so this will be a final farewell to the application, which was marked as a deprecated feature back in September 2023.
Also in build 26020, a raft of additions for Voice Access have strengthened Windows 11 on the accessibility front (as seen elsewhere in testing last month).On top of that, Narrator now has natural voices for 10 new locales (in preview), and that includes English (UK) and English (India), as well as the following: Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, French, Portuguese, German and Korean.
Furthermore, when the energy saver feature is enabled on a desktop PC (a machine that’s plugged in, rather than running on battery), a new icon is present in the system tray (far-right of the taskbar) to indicate it’s running and saving you a bit of power.
For the full list of changes, check out Microsoft’s blog post for the build.
Analysis: Word up
One thing to clarify here is not to confuse WordPad with Notepad, or Microsoft Word for that matter.
Word is the heavyweight word processor in Microsoft 365 (the suite formerly known as Office), and not a default app. Both WordPad and Notepad are currently default apps in Windows 11, but Notepad is staying firmly put – indeed Microsoft is busy improving this piece of software (adding an autosave feature most recently).
Notepad remains a useful and highly streamlined, much-liked app for jotting notes and the like, whereas WordPad is kind of a ‘lite’ version of Word, and as such a bit more complex in nature (but not anything like a full-on effort such as Word).
WordPad sort of falls between stools a little in that respect, and another reason Microsoft may have decided to drop the app is due to potential security risks (or that was a theory floating around last year, when the software was deprecated).
Even so, there are some folks who will miss WordPad, and with no option to reinstall, they’ll just have to look for a different lightweight word processor for Windows 11 – fortunately, we explore some good alternatives right here.
Windows 11 could be getting its next feature drop early in 2024, courtesy of what will be the fifth ‘Moment’ update for the operating system.
As you’re likely aware by now, a Moment is the name given to smaller feature updates that arrive outside of the big annual upgrade Microsoft pushes out for Windows 11 (which was 23H2 this year).
And we just heard from Windows Central (Zac Bowden) that Moment 5 should arrive in February (indeed its alternative name is the ‘February 2024 Moment’).
That said, the catch is that this will be the initial preview release, late in the month, so the full version of the Moment 5 update won’t actually arrive until March. On the second Tuesday of the month if the typical release cadence of Microsoft’s cumulative updates is adhered to – which would make the date to mark in your diary March 12.
What will this update pack in the way of new features? Well, don’t get your hopes up for anything too exciting, as we’re told this will be a more minor release compared to some of the previous Moments.
Even so, there will be a healthy dollop of tweaks and additions, and one smart piece of functionality is targeted at stylus users – namely the ability to write directly into text fields with their pen (something Microsoft has promised will eventually be an OS-wide capability in Windows).
Voice Access is also receiving some laudable attention, including support for multiple monitors, and powerful new voice shortcuts. The latter are customizable commands allowing for the opening of files, folders, or pasting a section of boilerplate text, for example (and they can be chained together for multiple steps).
Microsoft is set to make a bunch of minor tweaks – some of which are useful, like giving Notepad a character count, and being able to rename devices with the Nearby Share feature, to make them more easily identifiable at a glance (‘Darren’s PC’ for example) – but some of the work elsewhere is purely about complying with European regulations.
Unfortunately, Windows 11 users outside of the EEA won’t get those latter options, but they will benefit from another move to let the user uninstall a larger number of default apps – like Photos, for example.
Furthermore, Microsoft is introducing an option to specify that the widgets panel contains just widgets, with users being able to remove the news feed. Interestingly, we’re also told that Microsoft will make it possible for other third-party services to be integrated into the panel – so you could infuse the widget board with Google news, if you wanted to.
These widget-related possibilities are coming for everyone, fortunately, not just the EEA – and we can keep our fingers crossed that the other mentioned Europe-bound changes will be rolled out more widely, too. Plenty of folks would like the ability to declutter Windows 11 a bit more by getting rid of Edge, no doubt.
Of course, we must bear in mind that these changes are all rumors, though we’ve seen all the mentioned features going through testing of late, so all of this makes sense. The release date of February (for preview) and March is the nugget of info that needs more salt applied, but Bowden is one of the more reliable sources out there for info from Microsoft. It’s always possible that an intended timeframe might slip a bit, mind.
From what we’ve heard, this could be the last Moment update before the next-gen version of Windows is launched later in 2024. Whether that will be Windows 12, or something else (Windows AI?), or if Microsoft might stick with Windows 11 (making the upgrade version 24H2), we don’t yet know, but the theory is this might be the last Moment before that next big move arrives.
As per another of Bowden’s recent rumors, Microsoft is supposedly set to switch away from Moments, releasing fewer of these updates going forward, and making more changes and feature additions in the big annual upgrade. (And yes – in short, this is returning more to the way things used to be).
A leaked Intel document has seemingly confirmed that users on Windows 10 and older operating systems won’t be able to enjoy Wi-Fi 7 when it launches next year.
The document, posted on Twitter by leaker @g01d3nm4ng0, lists Windows 11, Linux, and ChromeOS as supported platforms for the new Wi-Fi standard. While it isn’t explicitly stated that Windows 10 won’t be supported, it’s not an unreasonable extrapolation to make.
A document reveals Windows 10 doesn’t support Wi-Fi 7, due to lack of Windows 10 driver certified by Microsoft. Qualcomm and MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 don’t support Windows 10 either. Microsoft limits Wi-Fi 7 to Windows 11 only? 🧐🧐🧐GaP2/MtP2: Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200/BE202 pic.twitter.com/m5tIJoOI4OAugust 23, 2023
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Wi-Fi 7 is expected to provide some seriously advanced data transmission techniques to offer speeds potentially close to five times faster than Wi-Fi 6, along with superior reliability, range, and power efficiency. Intel has been leading the charge to implement the new technology as early as 2024, so it’s unsurprising that’s where this leak originated from.
That being said, it likely isn’t Intel’s fault that Windows 10 (and presumably older versions of Windows) won’t support the new Wi-Fi standard. Microsoft has had a hard time pushing Windows 11 to users, and this is just another factor the tech giant can point to and say ‘look, you’re missing out on this!’
The death knell of Windows 10
Let’s face it: we’re going to have to let go of Windows 10 eventually. With Windows 12 just peeking over the horizon, it was inevitable that some new features wouldn’t make the cut for our beloved 10.
Still, it’s a shame to see Microsoft so aggressively pushing forward – especially when it’s arguably ahead of the curve when it comes to its operating system. Windows Copilot and the general slew of AI-powered updates for the OS show that Microsoft doesn’t even need version 12 to innovate in Windows, so why keep pushing ahead with major version releases like this?
Frustrations have been fairly widespread with regard to Windows 11, hampering adoption in a big way despite Microsoft offering free upgrades for existing Windows users. Part of the problem is the strict hardware requirements for Win11, which entirely prevent some users from upgrading past Windows 10 (the TPM 2.0 requirement is a particular sticking point here). Early leaks have suggested that Windows 12 will also come with new minimum system requirements, locking out even more people on outdated builds.
Still, if you can upgrade to Windows 11 and have simply been putting it off out of laziness or distrust of the new OS, now might be the time to start considering it. Wi-Fi 7 devices and routers aren’t available yet, but when they do arrive, you won’t want to find yourself stuck with slower wireless internet speeds just because you didn’t upgrade!
If you’re looking for the best PC games to download and play, you’ve come to the right place. Especially now with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and Super RTX graphics cards, as well as AMD’s Navi line, are out in the wild, there’s never been a better time to get in PC gaming.
There’s a remarkably massive catalogue of brilliant games for PC, starting with the best Steam games 2019, on offer, so you can play to your heart’s content and never run out of new games to play. The best PC games also cover a wide gamut of genres, from platformers and point-and-click adventures, to retro favorites and action-packed first-person shooters with eye-popping visuals. There are even co-op PC games that you can enjoy with friends. So forget about your PlayStations and Xboxes.
The sheer number of brilliant PC games will leave you wondering where to get started, so we made you a list to get you off to a great start. These are our picks for the best PC games of 2020. With the hours upon hours of gaming we’ve clocked in here at TechRadar, you can bet your life you’ll enjoy every single title on it.
The best new PC game: Halo: Reach
Halo: Reach isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it comes pretty close to one.
The direct prequel to 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved originally launched back on the Xbox 360, and now it’s come to the PC in a remastered form. This was the last Halo game that Bungie developed before it parted ways with Microsoft. So, in a way, it’s almost like a farewell or an ode. It’s as beautiful as one, too – with animations that look like moving paintings, colors that are vibrant and grittier graphics.
Of course, the gameplay is impressive as well, unsurprisingly as this is Bungie last hurrah and ithad to end it with a bang. The storyline is satisfying and engrossing. The characters are truly likeable. And, the enemies are clever and challenging, making your small wins even more gratifying.
Halo: Reach isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it comes pretty close to one. And, if you’re looking for the best PC game that’s fresh from the over, this one’s hard to beat.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt might just be one of the best video games of all time.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is aging like fine wine. Even several years after it hit the streets, it’s still one of the most impressive open world games that’s ever existed – mixing Skyrim’s unapologetic scale with Grand Theft Auto V’s incredible depth. It’s such a jam-packed game, which is why it claims the top spot on our list of the best PC games in 2019. Staggering, beautiful and an absolute time sink – in a good way – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt isn’t just the best PC game of 2020 or among the best open world games on PC. It might just be one of the best video games of all time.
Dark Souls 3 improves on everything you like about the Souls series by blending it with elements found in Bloodborne.
While it's arguably not as hard as earlier titles in the series, From Software's Dark Souls 3 takes everything you like about the Souls series and improves on it by blending it with elements found in Bloodborne, the developer's more recent title for PS4.
We won’t sugar coat it: you’re going to die in Dark Souls 3, perhaps more than once. It takes patience to master its complex combat system, but it also plays fair, which makes it more approachable for casual players so they too can take part in its bleak, fantastical world. And, on the bright side, it’s much more optimized for PC than the first two games. Now that you can pick up Dark Souls: Remastered, and see where the apocalyptic series began, there’s never been a better time to link the first flame.
3. Control
There’s nothing quite like Control on the market.
It’s not hard to see why Control has taken the gaming world by storm. The creative team at Remedy Entertainment made sure to pack this title with plenty to love, paying very close attention to the intricate details. A deeply cinematic game, this action-adventure offers its players staggering visuals, inspired environment design and brilliant performances – not to mention, a deeply satisfying combat experience.
Control places you in the capable shoes of fiery-haired Jesse Faden. You’re tasked to seek out The Oldest House, a building in New York City that’s in a constant state of architectural flux and only appears to those who desire to find it, and locate your missing brother, all while heading the Federal Bureau of Control as its director and overseeing the containment of paranatural entities.
There’s nothing quite like Control on the market, and it makes it one of the best PC games to play right now.
4. Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter: World is the PC game of your dreams.
Monster Hunter is one of the biggest gaming franchises you’ve probably never heard of for years now. With Monster Hunter: World, the series broke into the mainstream and came to the PC (much to many gamers’ relief), and now, it’s one of the best PC games you can play to date.
Monster Hunter: World puts you in the shoes of a monster hunter, and you’ll hunt increasingly bigger and meaner monsters, strip them for parts, and craft bigger, badder armor. It’s a deviously simple gameplay loop that ends up being one of the most compelling and rewarding PC games you can play right now.
There’s an incessant onslaught of content in this game, and Capcom, the developers of this monster hunting hit, are committed to bringing a wealth of free DLC to the game – as well as a new frosty expansion in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. If you’re looking for an addictive, immersive and most importantly, fun game to play on your own or with all your closest friends cooperatively, Monster Hunter: World is the PC game of your dreams. There’s no doubt it’s one of the best PC games you can buy today.
The newest release from Rockstar Games was an instant hit upon release. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an engrossing western following Arthur Morgan and his gang as they try to survive a fictionalized Wild West as outlaws on the run. However, the game is much more than just that.
Whether it’s getting lost in the story, following through on every side quest to its conclusion, or just bonding with your horse, RDR2 is one of those games where you can easily sink 50+ hours into and still have something to do. The gameplay is stellar, and the graphics are gorgeous. You can even run the game in 8K, if you have the hardware. Definitely give this a look if you haven’t already.
6. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
What Sid Meier’s Civilization VI has to offer is its massive scope.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI is the most recent installment in the iconic turn-based strategy game, and it's without a doubt among the best PC games you can play to date. One of the things that make the PC the best platform for gaming on is the sheer breadth of different game genres on offer. And, what Civilization VI has to offer is its massive scope, despite the fact that it might seem slower paced next to the likes of Fortnite.
Spread your empire across the map and crush your enemies. You build up your empire from a simple settlement to a world power, and you can decide to do this through military might, technological supremacy or cultural influence. Since its launch in 2016, it has had two expansion packs that really cement this game as an epic entry in our best PC games list. Civilization VI: Rise and Fall released in February 2018, with Civilization VI: Gathering Storm following in February 2019.
7. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is the suspense-filled game that fans have long been waiting for.
Set 15 years after the events of the first Alien film from 1979, Alien: Isolation is the suspense-filled game that fans of the franchise have long been waiting for. Playing the role of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley, your mission is to track down and retrieve the flight recorder of the Nostromo spacecraft from the first Alien film, which has been traced aboard the Sevastopol space station.
First and foremost a stealth game, Isolation intensifies the tension by giving you minimal weaponry. Its superb graphics shine on high-end PCs and brilliant AI helps ramp up the dread, leaving you shuddering at every corner. This and more make Alien: Isolation one of the best PC games 2019 has to offer.
Overwatch is also one of the best PC games, owing to the fact that it runs beautifully.
Overwatch, if nothing else, has considerably changed the landscape, moving it away from the norm of gray-ish cover shooters to the domain of competitive gaming. Its bright, vibrant colors are only made better by its endearing characters, each coming with their own compelling backstories, which, though non-existent in game, make for a collection of amazing webcomics and cinematics.
Overwatch is also one of the best PC games, owing to the fact that it runs beautifully on all kinds of different hardware. Sure, it’s a little older now. However, even in 2019, it’s the best PC game for anyone with a competitive streak. If you missed out on this game before, do yourself a favor – sign in to your Battle.net account and take Overwatch – not to mention, its colorful cast of characters – for a spin today.
9. Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 brings the racing to the UK.
Microsoft's racing series is only getting better with each release, and in many ways this spin-off has exceeded the main Forza Motorsport line as the best racing games on PC at present. They're definitely more fun, adding a dash of arcade fun to the strikingly recreated cars and race tracks we've come to expect from Forza.
Forza Horizon 4 is easily one of the best PC games you can buy today, and this entry brings the racing to the UK after having explored America, France, Italy and Australia in the previous three instalments of the franchise. Now, you can rip through charming villages, seaside towns and the city of Edinburgh by way of many miles of country roads and dirt tracks in between. It's fast, frantic and a lot of fun.
Thimbleweed Park merges the best of old school PC game design with modern technology.
Fans of classic point and click games such as Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle, which are some of the best PC games ever made, should add Thimbleweed Park to their must play list. Made by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, two of the people behind PC classics Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, Thimbleweed Park plays like a love letter to classic point-and-click adventure games.
From the splendid retro artwork, entertaining dialogue and perplexing puzzles, Thimbleweed Park deserves its place on our list of the best PC games, merging the best of old school PC game design with modern technology.
11. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an awfully difficult game to master.
From Software is a household name when it comes to designing the best PC games. The minds behind the critically praised Dark Souls series have transported PC gamers to some of the most forsaken landscapes and through some of the most challenging yet rewarding gameplay. From Software is back at it once more, with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Sekiro places you in the shoes of the Young Wolf, a shinobi tasked with rescuing his young master. The game will take you through 16th-century Japan, but things will get eerie and supernatural: this is From Software we’re talking about.
Don’t expect an easy time of it, however. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an awfully difficult game to master, and you’ll need quick reflexes to deflect enemy attacks, as well as to master stealth. You won’t be able to hide behind a shield all day, like you were able to in Dark Souls III.
Minecraft lets you construct your own worlds using resources you find in the wild.
The phrase "build it, and they will come" rings truer than ever with Minecraft, the survival-based sandbox RPG that has now been bought more than 100 million times since its release in 2009. In it, you can construct your own worlds using resources you find in the wild, or discover existing ones created by other players online.
In Minecraft, you can either limit yourself to the numerous tools and blocks offered by the developer, Mojang, or you can install mods to truly capitalize on your investment. Moreover, sometime in 2019, you’ll be able to take part in the Super Duper Graphics Pack, an optional piece of DLC that offers more realistic lighting effects and textures to an already amazing game.
13. Doom
Doom is still proving to be among the best PC games years later.
A crudely rendered first-person shooter series, Doom was as controversial as it was adored when it first took PC gaming by storm in the 90s. That’s due in large part to its cutting-edge depictions of gore and violence that only a computer could deliver. But just because Id Software's brainchild was a phenomenon for PC gamers in the ‘90s, that doesn’t mean that its premise and gore-fille gameplay doesn’t hold up.
Parents be damned, the franchise underwent a revival in 2016 with a fresh reset, aptly titled Doom, and it’s still proving to be among the best PC games years later. Although the multiplayer might not appeal to shooter fans regardless of age, the single player campaign will pit you against demons in Hell for a lengthy mission that is bloody satisfying, pun intended.
14. Fortnite Battle Royale
Fortnite Battle Royale is actually a game mode for the Fortnite game.
It’s possibly the biggest game in the world right now, so Fortnite Battle Royale is a natural shoo-in for this list. After all, it is a global phenomenon and among the best PC games to play right now if you like super-competitive online games. This is a game people keep coming back to, and that's mostly due to its addictive gameplay and regular updates from Epic.
Fortnite Battle Royale is actually a game mode for the Fortnite game, but this mode has become so popular, many people consider it a separate game in its own right. As with other Battle Royale games, the aim of Fortnite Battle Royale is to fight your way through an ever-shrinking map until you're the last player standing. While that might sound simple enough, there's a whole lot of depth to this game once you start playing.
15. Cuphead
Cuphead is unlike anything you’ll play on PC.
Cuphead's 1930's animation aesthetics certainly makes this one of the most beautiful looking – and sounding – PC games on our list. Incorporating run-and-gun platforming with boss rush battles, it's also an extremely challenging game. But, that only means that it's even more rewarding to play.
With hand-drawn cell animation, watercolor backgrounds and original jazz soundtrack, Cuphead is unlike anything you'll play on PC. Just keep in mind that the steep difficulty curve may put people off. However, if you're willing to put in the work and hone your gaming skills, you'll be rewarded with one of the best PC games you’ll ever experience.
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