Microsoft announced this Friday at IFA Berlin 2017 that the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is officially coming to PCs and laptops around the world this October 17. Likewise, it revealed that some of its Mixed Reality headsets are launching on the same date.
The Fall Creators Update is one of the most anticipated upgrades of the operating system since its inception two years ago. It will bring enhanced functionality focused on creativity for the artistic types and creation for everyone regardless of impairments or limitations.
Improvements to the platform have been long underway, given that the Windows Insider program gives subscribers constant glimpses to builds of the system to test new features and overall user experience before full blown releases like this upcoming one.
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update: what’s new?
The Redmond team is bringing an assortment of new features and functionalities to the popular OS on October 17. There is a lot more than meets the eye coming to Windows 10, but the official announcement emphasized a couple of particularly interesting additions.
Dubbed the Creators Update, the release has creativity at its core. In this sense, Windows Inking will get some extended support for digital pen actions such as writing on top of PDF files, just as you would annotate in a paper document. Smart shaping that turns squares into tables, for instance, is also coming.
On the other hand, creative tools like the Photos app and OneDrive are also getting a deeper integration with Windows to give users additional storage space in the cloud and support mixed media like 3D files and inked pictures.
And because Windows 10 is also all about reaching everyone equally, it will roll out Eye Control for people with limited mobility and those who suffer Lou Gehrig’s disease. This new accessibility feature lets people “type” with their eyes, as the PCs camera detects where your eyes look and inputs that letter.
Mixed Reality gets real with the Fall Creators Update
Aside from that, there are a couple of security enhancements via Windows Defender, some changes to the Start menu, and a more prominent presence of Cortana as a rooted assistant in Windows 10.
Gaming and virtual experiences also take front and center with the Fall Creators Update, since they will not only be supported by a majority of Windows PCs, laptops, and 2-in-1s but also usher in a new partnership that will significantly enhance the overall experience: Steam.
Valve and Microsoft are teaming up to support Steam VR games and applications in their new Mixed Reality platform and headsets. The HMDs themselves will launch on the same date as the update on October 17.
Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo will debut their devices in the market on that date. Two of them are already available for pre-order, and some even feature controllers to extend your investment in the virtual world. ASUS will be the only manufacturer of the list to launch its headset on 2018.
Several of the new PCs and portable computers debuting at IFA Berlin will be compatible with Windows Mixed Reality, which will work in rigs with both integrated and discrete graphics at different refresh rates. Headsets will be as cheap as $299 and will range in price roughly up to $499.
Source: Microsoft