Microsoft’s Windows 11 has officially surpassed Windows 10 as the most widely used desktop operating system, marking a major milestone nearly four years after its initial release.
According to the latest figures from web analytics platform StatCounter, highlighted by Windows Central, Windows 11 now holds 52 per cent of the global desktop OS market, edging out Windows 10, which has dropped to 44.59 per cent.
The shift comes just months ahead of Windows 10’s scheduled end of support on 14 October.
The transition has been slow. Windows 11 was released in October 2021 and, despite early traction among PC gamers (it became the dominant OS on gaming platforms as far back as September 2023) it lagged behind Windows 10 in broader adoption.
Internal Microsoft data leaked in late 2023 showed Windows 11 running on more than 400 million devices. By comparison, Windows 10 reached the same figure in under 12 months; Windows 11 took two years.
One of the primary reasons for the delay in uptake has been Windows 11’s stringent hardware requirements.
While the company did offer free upgrades to existing Windows 10 users, a significant number of PCs were excluded due to compatibility issues involving older CPUs and missing security features such as TPM 2.0.
Microsoft has responded by nudging users with older hardware toward upgrading, including through persistent full-screen upgrade prompts.
To ease the transition from Windows 10, Microsoft recently announced that users who enable Windows Backup and sync their Documents folder to OneDrive will receive one year of extended security updates at no cost.
Those who prefer not to opt into the cloud services can either pay $30 for continued support or use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
As the support deadline approaches, Microsoft’s push to accelerate Windows 11 adoption appears to be paying off — though questions remain about the long-term impact of its stricter upgrade criteria.
