Microsoft Windows 12 expected release date, supported devices, and more

Windows 12 is somewhere on the horizon, as per the company's plans to launch a new OS version every three years. The current version, 11, was introduced in 2021 and has been supported ever since. It is worth noting that Windows 10 will be discontinued in 2025, which will mark 10 years since it was launched all the way back in 2015.

Funny story: Microsoft originally decided to make Windows 10 the last version of the long-running OS lineup and only provide timely updates to keep it fresh. However, things changed rapidly after Satya Nadella took over the company. In an attempt to keep the Windows brand fresh and ever changing, the company decided to go forward and launch a major update with new requirements and features.

Windows 11 intitally seemed like a simple reskin of its predecessor. However, the software has evolved over time, and today it is way different from the initial version that was launched back in 2021. We are expecting the upcoming Windows 12 to be no different.

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When will Windows 12 launch?

The next version of the PC operating system has been in the works for over a year, according to some reports. The Redmond, VA-based tech juggernaut hasn't confirmed Windows 12's release date just yet. However, we are expecting the next OS version to be launched in Q2 2024, given that will mark three years of Windows 11's launch.

We are more or less certain about this timeline because a leak from earlier this year confirmed that the next-gen Intel Meteor Lake CPUs include support for Windows 12. Although this isn't definitive proof, given the tipster deleted their tweet a few hours after confirming it, we at least know that Microsoft is working on the software's next version.

The current iteration will likely be supported even after 12 launches. While it is unclear when the tech giant will discontinue Windows 11, we are expecting support to continue at least till 2028 (given Windows 10 was supported for four more years in 2021).

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What should be the required specs for Windows 12?

We don't know much about the required specifications of the next version of Microsoft Windows. However, we don't believe they would be wildly different from Windows 11. We can make some educated guesses about what to expect in the specifications list once the software is announced sometime next year.

• CPU: 64-bit Dual-core Intel 6th gen or above, AMD FX 8000 series or above @1 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4 or above
• Minimum storage: 128 GB SSD
• System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable motherboards
• TPM: TPM v2.0
• Graphics card: DirectX 12 capable GPU with WDDM 2.0 driver (all modern GPUs are eligible)
• Display: 720p display, 9" or more diagonal size, 8 bits per color channel
• Internet connectivity: Required

The requirements are pretty modest, at least according to 2024's expected standards. However, we won't be surprised if the RAM requirement is below 8 GB (6 GB may make a ton of sense).

Overall, details on the upcoming Windows version are pretty rare. We still have to wait a while before getting a look at what the OS will look like.