Windows 21H2 (2021 Update 2) will be a total overhaul of the OS (Codenamed Sun Valley)

[Master Disaster]

It seems as though Microsoft have some big plans for Windows in 2021, so big that PC Gamer have dubbed it "as close to Windows 11 as we're going to get".

 

The update will include a visual overhaul with a "softer design", new animations, a Windows 10X style Action Centre, an overhaul to Disk Management, per application control for systems with multiple GPUs and an overhaul to the audio stack.

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This year's 21H2 Windows 10 update promises to be the biggest overhaul of the operating system Microsoft has undertaken since launch.

• Release date: October/November 2021
• Update name: Windows 10 21H2
• Codename: Sun Valley
• New, softer design
• New animations
• Windows 10X Action Center
• New Disk Management settings screen
• Per-app multiple GPU management
• Improved audio device settings

Microsoft is set to launch Windows 10X in the next few months so it would make sense for them to try and unify 10 with 10X and they're currently recruiting for a BIG update as was pointed out on Twitter

Since 21H1 is already being worked on its fair to assume that it will be the usual bug fixes and small quality of life issues which leaves PCG to theorise the big update will be 21H2 and likely come in Oct or Nov 2021.

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Microsoft has stuck to a pretty solid release cadence for its twice yearly updates for Windows 10 recently. That being a spring and autumn update, with the first of the year coming around April or May time, and the second dropping on to our PCs in either October or November.

 

Given that the aforementioned job listing is pretty recent the big refresh isn't likely to be in the first flush of Windows 10 updates this year. We are then looking at the Sun Valley update to be the October/November release instead.

 

Microsoft has let slip the general release date for its first 2021 Windows 10 update, however, with the 21H1 update being given a June 2021 timeframe in a subsequently edited Chromium code commit. The commit originally read: "The Windows Release coming out this June 2021 has a new API that can disable KTM exploits." 

 

Windows 10 21H1 is going to be more of a slight update, mainly bug fixes, and mild improvements, so we're going to be waiting on Sun Valley for the new features. Windows 10X is launching in the springtime, so it would make sense for Microsoft to marshal its efforts towards the desktop version once that's out in the wild.

Here's PC Gamers full breakdown of everything, its pretty big so I'll spoiler it.

Spoiler

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The big user interface refresh is arguably the most important new feature of Microsoft's main Windows 10 update. It's this new visual language which the company will hope signals a more sweeping change to the operating system. Key to the change is an overall softening of the rather boxy, angular design that is the current hallmark of Windows 10.

 

That means we're going to see a rounding off of the corners on buttons, UI elements, and application windows. Depending on your personal preferences that could be a welcome change, though I have to say I kinda dig the more utilitarian aesthetic of the sharp edges, especially of the frame-free app windows.

 

We'll also be treated to some shiny new OS animations, such as when a window is opened. Looks like we're getting some of the prettier Linux goodness filtering into our Microsoft operating systems.

 

It's also suggested that Windows 10X's new Action Center could make its way to the Sun Valley Windows 10 update too. Basically it's designed to give you quick access to notifications and quick settings too. That should stop you getting redirected to discrete apps in order to mess around with some simple settings changes, rather than the binary off/on options Windows 10 currently offers.

 

What ought to be universally well-received is the suggestion that older, legacy screens are likely to be getting a visual overhaul to bring them more inline with the overall Windows 10 aesthetic. That's something Microsoft has been pretty slow to change, with a host of older screens still popping up in obscure places that look like they haven't changed since Windows 2000. 

 

MS has started pulling some of the functionality of those legacy screens into modern UI elements, with the recent change to advanced display settings where monitor refresh rates have been pulled into the main screen from display adapter properties. 

 

In Sun Valley we're going to see the old Disk Management application effectively retired and replaced with a modern UI version with the straightforward settings name of Manage Disks and Volumes. The old tool isn't being completely retired and is more just going on gardening leave. You can still access the original version if you prefer the old-school looks and functionality instead.

 

Microsoft is also introducing some more granular graphics card control within Windows too. It is specifically looking at systems with multiple GPUs inside them, and giving you the option, via the OS itself, to pick and choose which is the low power chip and which the high-performance option.

 

I'm a little dubious over the utility of such a feature for gaming machines. This isn't something that's going to affect multi-GPU gaming, after all, that is pretty much already dead and buried, but instead it looks to be offering a kind of laptop-style option for desktop PCs. If you wished you could potentially use the integrated graphics of your processor as the low-power, Windows GPU, with your discrete card as the one that kicks into gear when you need it.

 

We'll have to do some testing on this when the feature is launched in a 100 percent stable state, but I'm guessing you'll need to have your monitor plumbed into your motherboard (if it has outputs) otherwise you'd likely not be able to run off your CPU. That will also probably preclude using a particularly high refresh rate monitor on the desktop.

 

It's also set to work on a per-app basis, so you could specify a particular GPU for one application and prioritise another for something else. Maybe there are Nvidia-based features you need in one application, but your AMD GPU is more powerful in-game? I'm not sure if that's really how it's going to work in the end, but I'd be surprised if we got anything but lower gaming performance out of tweaking this new feature.

 

Microsoft is also said to be improving the sound device settings for your system too, allowing you to set default devices again on a per-app basis from within the Volume Mixer. If Windows can actually sort out not booting up with Nvidia Broadcast flipping around my preferences, or the Oculus Quest 2 deciding that even if it's not enabled really needs to be the primary audio output, I'll be happy. 

 

Windows 10 has a history of audio strangeness, so it would be good if that side of things could be improved.

 

Source - https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-10-update-sun-valley-21h2/

 

Damn, if they FINALLY sort out the Settings & Control Panel consolidation I'll be happy.

 

Thoughts?

[lewdicrous]

"Pro" tip: don't update at launch, let others be the beta testers.

[RejZoR]

1 minute ago, lewdicrous said:

"Pro" tip: don't update at launch, let others be the beta testers.

I like to live on the edge. I will. Always have with every new version.

[lewdicrous]

5 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

I like to live on the edge. I will. Always have with every new version.

That was meant for those who don't use their browser. /a

4 minutes ago, Benji said:

IIRC, Windows doesn't auto-update to newer Windows versions unless you click either the "download and install" button when it shows up or you click "Search for Updates" in the Update menu, otherwise it will only upgrade to a new version once the current version runs out of support.

Yea, I still haven't updated to 20H2 because of that. I guess I meant "don't go out of your way to update until everything is sorted"

[StDragon]

21H2 sounds like a bad strain of the flu. Speaking of getting sick, just how many applications will this update break in terms of compatibility?

 

For work, I'm *not* looking forward to this release at all. Might even skip it all together and let the bugs shake out for a year.

 

And yeah, it should be called Windows 11 if it's that much of a refresh/rewrite under the hood!

[Stahlmann]

Still waiting a decent HDR implementation here...

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, StDragon said:

21H2 sounds like a bad strain of the flu. Speaking of getting sick, just how many applications will this update break in terms of compatibility?

 

For work, I'm *not* looking forward to this release at all. Might even skip it all together and let the bugs shake out for a year.

 

And yeah, it should be called Windows 11 if it's that much of a refresh/rewrite under the hood!

If I had to guess I'd say most (if not all) the design and UI changes will be made to UWP, Win32 will likely not see many changes at all.

 

Microsoft seem to want to move away from Win32 but they cannot achieve it because it would destroy legacy application support.

 

They're planning on releasing .Net 6 later this year which is set to be a fully crossplatform IDE allowing developers to target pretty much any OS you can name (including Android & iOS through Xamarin).

[Levent]

Oops my bad

[wamred]

Ha. And they said they aren’t ever going to redo windows again. Yeah right 

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, Levent said:

snip

How is this relevant to 21H2?

[Levent]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

How is this relevant to 20H2?

You are right I got confused, sorry bout that.

[Master Disaster]

Just now, Levent said:

You are right I got confused, sorry bout that.

No worries, I figured

[TVwazhere]

2 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

How is this relevant to 21H2?

1 minute ago, Levent said:

You are right I got confused, sorry bout that.

He's not the only one

I nearly gave this post the banhammer

[Master Disaster]

2 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

He's not the only one

I nearly gave this post the banhammer

I'll add a bit more to the title for clarity.

[TopKitty]

Sounds like windows vista 2.0

 

Great for those with drivers and software with appropriate updates, lousy for everyone else.

 

Vista was a good thing overall don’t get me wrong.

[StDragon]

2 hours ago, TopKitty said:

Vista was a good thing overall don’t get me wrong.

Vista was garbage as was Server 2008 (non-R2) which was based on the same codebase. Everything from file transfer IO, UAC, to Windows Update was broken. Only until the very end did most of the bugs get ironed out with the exception of Windows Update. Say you had 50+ updates pending, you install them, 1 failed, so it has to reboot and roll back all 50 updates and not just the one that failed. I giant steaming pile of garbage. I should have lit off fireworks when it was EOLed; my only regret.

[flibberdipper]

2 hours ago, TopKitty said:

Sounds like windows vista 2.0

 

Great for those with drivers and software with appropriate updates, lousy for everyone else.

 

Vista was a good thing overall don’t get me wrong.

Vista very much aged like fine wine as you added more service packs. SP2 ultimately is just Windows 7 but better looking. Too bad Windows 10 has yet to figure that good aging process out.

 

I'm just curious how far the softer design will go, and what the new animations will be like. I'm obviously not expecting the wonderfully round glass Vista had (and to a somewhat lesser extent for me, 7), but fuck me man. 10's laughably inconsistent flat design with functionally no nice transparency right now sucks ass, anything at this point would be an improvement in my eyes.

[Vorg]

5 hours ago, lewdicrous said:

"Pro" tip: don't update at launch, let others be the beta testers.

Not that we have much choice. I paid extra for the "pro" version mainly for the rolling update delay option which they then removed. Now you have to keep manually going in and bumping up the delay.

[Master Disaster]

2 hours ago, Vorg said:

Not that we have much choice. I paid extra for the "pro" version mainly for the rolling update delay option which they then removed. Now you have to keep manually going in and bumping up the delay.

Nah you don't, Windows won't ever install a big update without you going out of your way to look for it.. You have to manually click Check For Updates otherwise it will only force an update when your current versions support period ends.

[Yuiski]

Why does everything have to be round these days? I can't be the only one that likes boxy asthetics right?

[DavidKalinowski]

38 minutes ago, Yuiski said:

Why does everything have to be round these days? I can't be the only one that likes boxy asthetics right?

Honestly, if they would just make all the previous versions of windows (windows 95-present) interfaces as an option for all to use and change at any time it would be great. But since they got pissy about that back in the 9x/NT days they all but removed the feature to replace the explorer shell. It was a relatively bustling little side community at one point. Thats what I like about linux, its just the kernel, I can use whatever interface I want. (generaly cinamon or LXDE, but I loved the theme support of old LiteStep and Aston shell back in the 9x/2000 days)

[asquirrel]

So Windows 21H2 will still spy on you, still update itself, still brick itself on update, still have advertisements in the start menu...yeah, ok, I'll be switching to Linux when I finally get sick of Windows 7. Games (Hitman 3 comes to mind) are starting to no longer support 7, so...bye bye PC gaming. Windows 10 is an abortion and I will.not.run.it!

[steelo]

Windows update has made my wifes PC unbootable twice in the past 3 months. Windows reset was unsuccessful and I've had to format the boot drive and reinstall Windows from scratch. It's really sad when an OS, which is supposed to make life easier holds your PC hostage because the developers force updates that end up breaking it.

[Vishera]

Every update is worse than the previous one,I wonder how bad Windows 10 can get.

Ever since Windows 8,Microsoft made operating systems with really bad and impractical UI,inspired by tablets - what they call a "modern" UI.

Bugs

Bloatware

Privacy

Broken functionality

Excessive RAM usage

 

It's even worse than the first versions of Windows Longhorn (which were just a bloated XP),which was scrapped.

Good thing they wrote Vista from scratch,and ironed out the bugs and problems with Windows 7.

 

Windows 10 is basically a derivative of Windows Vista:

Windows Vista (broken,fixed with service packs) > Windows 7 (polished experience) > Windows 8 (Bad UI,stupid metro,a bit of bloatware) > Windows 10 (too many bad things to write here)

[RejZoR]

Not really. I said many juicy things about initial Windows 10 versions, but these days it's a very flawless experience.