The Windows 10 Creators Update is almost here. Microsoft announced earlier this week that the update, which includes a new performance-boosting Game Mode and direct integration with the Beam streaming service, will arrive on April 11. Now the company has explained how it plans to roll out the Creators Update in phases to help make sure it debuts without any hitches--or at least as few as you can expect with an operating system update.
It turns out that you won't even have to wait until April 11 to get the update: You'll be able to manually install the Creators Update starting April 5 via Update Assistant. "This option is intended for advanced users," Microsoft said in its blog post, "on devices running a licensed version of Windows 10." Installing the operating system update early basically turns you into a human (presumably) guinea pig willing to deal with any unexpected problems.
The Creators Update roll out will properly begin on April 11. But it won't reach everyone at the same time, as Microsoft said in its blog post:
The first phase will target newer devices, especially those we tested together with our OEM hardware partners. We will then expand the Creators Update release to additional devices based on the feedback we receive during the initial phase. We’ll iterate this process over a period of several months until all compatible devices running Windows 10 worldwide are offered the Creators Update.
That's... a little vague. But it's more definitive than the time frame offered to anyone waiting for the Creators Update on Windows Phone. That isn't going to roll out until April 25, and Microsoft carefully noted that "update availability may vary by manufacturer, model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, specific installed software, hardware limitations and other factors such as feedback from customers." How reassuring!
Members of the Windows Insider Program have already gotten a taste of the Creators Update. For the last several weeks, releases in that program have focused primarily on bug fixes, which led us to guess that Microsoft planned to release the update sooner rather than later. So if you can't even wait until April 5, you can sign up for the Windows Insider Program to take the Creators Update for a whirl before many other Windows 10 users.
