Finally, after a long wait, the introduction of Windows 11 was announced. On 24th June 2021, Microsoft officially announced its arrival by launching a theme. If your system meets the basic requirements, you are able to download Windows 11. By registering to the Windows Insider program, you can download it, or if you are using the original version of Windows 10 or something, it will be automatically upgraded to Windows 11 once it is available. The last stable version available in the Windows 10 series was 21H1.
In order to run Windows 11, your PC once needed to meet all the requirements. But now it is not a necessity. Even if your PC does not meet the system requirements, we were able to test it on our PC thanks to a new webpage created by a brilliant developer called, “Blue Edge”.
About Windows 11
The launch of Windows 11 has been announced and it is available to those who have signed up to the Insider program. But you need to understand that Windows 11 is still a beta version under development. It will contain tons of bugs and mostly will be a disappointment at first for the users. To solve this issue, Microsoft has already released multiple updates for their users but still, many more bugs are to be found and solved.
To see if your PC meets the basic requirements put forward by Windows 11, download and install the Windows Health check app. It will let you know what changes have to be made to your PC in order to support Windows 11.
Basic requirements for Windows 11
- Processor – 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
- RAM – 4 GB
- Storage – 64 GB or larger storage device.
- System Firmware – UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
- TPM – Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- Graphics Card – Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
- Display – Hi-Definition (720p) display that is greater than 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel
Many processors which belong to older generations are not compatible with Windows 11 for now. To check that, visit the Windows 11 official website and check the processor compatible list. Once you find out that your PC meets the necessary system requirements, an upgrade option will be available for you.
For people who are thinking about buying a new PC, make sure your PC will be able to accommodate and run Windows 11 in future.
Testing Windows 11 without extra installation
As mentioned before, the developer Blue Note has developed a simulation of Windows 11 in order to help everyone understand the impact of Windows 11. This simulation is accessible through almost all browsers. To test the original version, our PC may need some top tier additional hardware or software. But to use this simulation, we do not need any sort of additional hardware or requirements. This is a great initiative as many of us may not have PCs that meet Windows 11’s requirements.
First of all, let me tell you guys that the simulation is not an exact replica of the original. You cannot open apps, run Windows explorer or do tasks in the simulation. Only the looks and feel of the real deal are included in the simulation and not its features. You can still open the start menu, search widgets, access the store, etc., which is simply to attract more people to understand the Windows 11’s user interface. The time gets adjusted for each country from where the webpage is being accessed.
Apart from these, some other minor features can also be experienced by the person who opens the simulation webpage. One such feature is the notification bar where you can see various options which control the settings of the PC. Another option available is to access the calendar and check the features available in it. Also, the simulation allows us to open the new Microsoft Edge, from which we can actually access the internet.
To wind it up, even though most of our PCs may not be able to experience the new Windows 11, for now, we have a nice webpage with a simulator to access and experience a few features. By following the above steps, you can actually check the compatibility of your Laptop with Windows 11. Please keep in mind that only the beta version is being run now. So, you should expect a lot of bugs and errors. But as the latest news from Microsoft, they will sort out these errors and make Windows 11 perfect and available to most users. Till then be patient and enjoy what is available.