Instead of Windows 12, Microsoft prepares Windows 11 27H2: a full version of the system with quality as a priority

The next big version of Windows that Microsoft is preparing is not, at least for now, Windows 12. As revealed by Tom Warren in The Verge from internal sources, the company already works on Windows 11 27H2. As the numbering suggests, it will be an update scheduled for 2027 that, instead of adding functions little by little, will replace or renew important parts of the operating system. According to the same sources, Microsoft will put the main focus on quality. It’s about time, really.

It must be remembered that Microsoft began planning in 2022 to return to a cycle of major releases every three years, with the first in 2024. At that time many expected it to be Windows 12, but the company opted for a major update to Windows 11. Now that the cycle is complete again, it seems to repeat the same formula. In fact, it also did not announce anything regarding a supposed Windows 12 during the RTX Spark launch event it held last month.

We already have the indicative date for the first tests

This is not a mere enabling patch, as Windows 11 26H2 has been. Rather, as this is a much deeper update, the new features will need more testing. Therefore, according to Warren, the Windows Insider program will most likely begin testing 27H2 well before June, which is when testing of 25H2 and 26H2 began.

In addition, Microsoft prepares the ground with a visual change. The most curious thing is that we have the clues in the wallpapers. Apparently the current wallpaper that has accompanied Windows 11 since its launch will be replaced by a series of designs which the company will show at its Ignite conference later this month, before shipping them in early January.

They look like Bloom, although with a folding sheet of color surrounded by clouds and changing depending on the edition. Windows 11 Pro is the most similar to the original, while the consumer versions have variants aimed at games, productivity, creation and performance.

Meanwhile, work to optimize performance continues. After Microsoft acknowledged Windows 11’s overload and reliability issues, much of this year’s development has focused on resolving them. This week it has shown new memory optimizations for computers with 8 GB of RAM.