Valve Is Forcing Microsoft To Make Significant Improvements To Windows Gaming Performance - Report
Overview & Key Takeaways
It might still be the overwhelming favorite when it comes to PC gaming, but there's no arguing that Microsoft has allowed Windows to get worse and worse over time. It's accelerated a migration to Linux, especially with Valve's efforts to streamline gaming through continued work on Proton and SteamOS. Microsoft understands it's behind, and reportedly has a plan to catch up.
A report by Windows Central details what Microsoft is calling Windows K2. It's not a standalone version of Windows that is meant to replace Windows 11, but rather an initiative that will slowly roll out significant changes to the operating system in a bid to reclaim customer trust and overhaul many key aspects that have become pain points over the past few years.
Gaming is unsurprisingly a big focus for K2, with Microsoft reportedly acknowledging that SteamOS is now the benchmark it needs to aim for. The report doesn't go into detail, but mentions that Microsoft is looking to bridge the performance gap between Windows and SteamOS in two years, when comparing performance on identical hardware. That's a good target, especially considering how many of SteamOS performance wins are coming from Windows games running through Proton's translation layer--something that is meant to traditionally negatively impact performance, not improve it.
It might still be the overwhelming favorite when it comes to PC gaming, but there's no arguing that Microsoft has allowed Windows to get worse and worse over time. It's accelerated a migration to Linux, especially with Valve's efforts to streamline gaming through continued work on Proton and SteamOS. Microsoft understands it's behind, and reportedly has a plan to catch up.
A report by Windows Central details what Microsoft is calling Windows K2. It's not a standalone version of Windows that is meant to replace Windows 11, but rather an initiative that will slowly roll out significant changes to the operating system in a bid to reclaim customer trust and overhaul many key aspects that have become pain points over the past few years.
Gaming is unsurprisingly a big focus for K2, with Microsoft reportedly acknowledging that SteamOS is now the benchmark it needs to aim for. The report doesn't go into detail, but mentions that Microsoft is looking to bridge the performance gap between Windows and SteamOS in two years, when comparing performance on identical hardware. That's a good target, especially considering how many of SteamOS performance wins are coming from Windows games running through Proton's translation layer--something that is meant to traditionally negatively impact performance, not improve it.
