We've been hearing information about the "Sun Valley" UX redesign for Windows since last year, and now it seems like we might finally be getting a look at it. Microsoft today announced that it will be holding a livestream on June 24th detailing “what’s next for Windows,” and although information on what that actually means is sparse, we have a few guesses.
At Microsoft Build, CEO Satya Nadella teased we'd soon see the future of Windows 10. We've already seen some very slight changes to system icons,
We reported five months ago that Microsoft was hiring for a Windows UX overhaul, probably Sun Valley, so it’s possible we might finally be seeing the fruits of that labor. A job listing originally said that the retooling would involve “a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK,” so this is likely to be a pretty big update.
The original Sun Valley reports also said that the focus would be on bringing “modern designs, better animations, and new features,” to Windows staples like the start menu, action center and file explorer.
It’s also possible that any UX overhaul might include elements from Windows 10X, a version of the OS meant for dual-screen devices that got mothballed just last month so that the team could focus on the desktop version.
Additionally, there have been reports that Microsoft is retooling the Microsoft Store to accept more software, games and provide freedom to developers.
It isn't clear if this is part of 21H2, the next big scheduled update, or something that will come sooner. Whatever it is, we'll be covering it on June 24.
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