Microsoft has pulled the trigger on the May 2021 update and the patch is available to download right now. The update comes with a couple of new features like Windows hello multicamera support, the removal of the legacy Microsoft Edge browser, and a ton of bug fixes and other quality of life improvements to Windows 10.
If you want to download the update, you can either use Microsoft's Update Assistant/Media Creation Tool or manually "check for updates" through Windows Update (in Settings). However, not every PC will have 21H1 available if you use the Windows Update method. This is perfectly normal as Microsoft releases new updates in 'waves' to ensure the reliability of the product.
If you use your PC for work or you need a stable system, we recommend waiting until Windows Update automatically installs 21H1, instead of manually updating to it. While this new May update does have a lot of bugs and improvements, plenty of Microsoft's updates in the past have had major problems upon the first release.
Microsoft's focus on bug fixes and quality of life for the 21H1 update makes a lot of sense, as the companies next big feature update for Windows 10 codenamed 'Sun Valley' is supposed to be the largest update to Windows 10 we've ever seen. Sun Valley plans to give Windows 10 a big overhaul to its user interface and also bring in features from its now canceled Windows 10X operating system.
Microsoft finally addressed the state of Windows 10X in a blog post about the May 2021 update. Reports of Windows 10X being shelved started showing earlier this month.
"Following a year-long exploration and engaging in conversations with customers, we realized that the technology of Windows 10X could be useful in more ways and serve more customers than we originally imagined. We concluded that the 10X technology shouldn’t just be confined to a subset of customers," vice president of program management John Cable wrote.
"Instead of bringing a product called Windows 10X to market in 2021 like we originally intended, we are leveraging learnings from our journey thus far and accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows and products at the company."
We're unlikely to see too much of that here, but the upcoming 21H2 update may have a far bigger redesign.
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