- Microsoft is actively working to improve the performance of Windows 11, through the ‘K2’ project
- Project K2 is an effort to reduce bloatware, the use of AI and optimize game performance.
- Microsoft is reportedly considering Valve’s SteamOS as a benchmark for gaming
Valve’s SteamOS continues to show significant advantages over Windows 11 for gamers, with better memory utilization and improved in-game performance, but Microsoft has a plan to combat that.
As reported by Windows Central, Microsoft is working on a new project called Windows ‘K2’, with the intention of removing bloatware, reducing AI, and optimizing Windows 11 for gaming, with three focuses of “performance, craftsmanship, and reliability.”
Rather than a dedicated release (or update) for Windows 11, Project K2 is Microsoft’s effort to maintain high quality across current and future versions of the operating system, prioritizing consistency and ultimately regaining user trust.
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Windows Central explains that Microsoft has clarified that Windows 11 performance has been lackluster, especially in apps like File Explorer and games. Valve’s SteamOS is also reportedly considered the benchmark specifically for gaming, and that’s no surprise considering the performance comparisons made over the last year.
SteamOS has provided a simple and smooth experience for both portable and desktop gamers, with a console-like user interface without any Bloatware hogs memory or AI usage. Microsoft has tried to match this with Windows Full Screen Experience (FSE), which reduces RAM consumption and allocates more for gaming, but the existence of Windows K2 makes it clear that FSE hasn’t done enough to compete.
Fortunately, Microsoft not only wants to optimize games, but also minimize memory usage when systems are idle, which should, in theory, improve overall RAM consumption when multitasking or simply using a browser.
Users like me have had to rely on third-party tools and apps to reduce overhead and ensure Windows 11 doesn’t use more memory than it needs, and my main hope is that Microsoft can eventually bring Windows to a stage where I no longer feel forced to install a completely different operating system, out of frustration. I just don’t know if it will make it, at least with Windows 11.
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