Windows 11 Surpasses Windows 10 as the Most Used Desktop Operating System

Windows 11 has officially surpassed Windows 10 in desktop operating system usage, achieving a significant milestone nearly four years after its release. According to data from StatCounter, Windows 11 now holds 52% of the desktop OS market share, while Windows 10 trails with 44.59%. This shift in usage comes months before Windows 10’s end of support, set for October 14, 2025. Although Windows 11 became the dominant operating system in PC gaming as early as September 2023, its adoption had been slower compared to Windows 10. The primary reason for this slower uptake is the more stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11, which have excluded many older devices from the upgrade. Additionally, Windows 11’s adoption pace lagged behind Windows 10’s, as Windows 10 reached 400 million devices within a year, while Windows 11 took two years to reach the same milestone. Microsoft is working to encourage users to upgrade their hardware, offering free security updates to Windows 10 users if they enable Windows Backup and sync their Documents folder to OneDrive. For users who choose not to do so, a $30 fee will be required for a year of updates, or they can redeem 1,000 Microsoft Reward points.