NEW YORK — WhatsApp has patched a security vulnerability that allowed sophisticated attacks against the Apple devices of “specific targeted users.”
The messaging app, owned by Meta Platforms, said in a blog post that its vulnerability, chained with a bug found in iOS and iPadOS, allowed hackers to exploit and steal information from Apple devices.
In a post on X, Amnesty’s Security Lab researcher Donncha Ó Cearbhaill said the malicious campaign lasted about 90 days. He said other apps beyond WhatsApp may also have been affected.
WhatsApp said in a statement that less than 200 users were targeted and that the company had notified those affected. All users have been encouraged to update their app to the latest version to fix the issue.
It’s not immediately clear who, or which spyware vendor, is behind the attacks.
Apple also acknowledged the vulnerability in its systems and issued patches to fix the flaws.
Pearl is one of the most versatile maps in Riot’s tactical hero shooter, offering almost endless possibilities for creative plays. If you want to truly master this map, you’ll need to know its layout like the back of your hand and have every callout in your back pocket. In this guide, we’ll run through all of this and more, including tips, tricks and agent picks.
Take a deep dive into Pearl, Omega Earth’s underwater city. This map doesn’t have any fancy gimmicks – it’s designed to encourage mid-control and well-coordinated attacks. Don’t let its futuristic/art-deco aesthetic fool you – this is a bread-and-butter map that will test your team’s mechanical skill and coordination.
The map features two bomb sites, with numerous twisting lanes in between them. The A site is open and features long sightlines, while B is much tighter, with corners that demand defenders find good angles. Rotations are particularly long on this map, so controlling mid is the key to success. This makes information gathering crucial for defenders, while attackers can play some mind games, using their long rotation times to their advantage.
The sheer amount of routes in Pearl makes Astra an obvious pick due to her ultimate ability, Cosmic Divide. This ability allows you to instantly create a wall to block off angles – particularly important when capturing or defending a site. Her regular astral abilities are also a boon, as she is able to throw out smokes and stuns in a pinch.
With so many possible angles for attack, Killjoy is an instapick for defenders. She can place down turrets to hold angles that you can’t watch and alarmbots to alert you to advancing enemies. This can be a lifesaver if you’ve already lost mid, making hectic fights much more manageable. In the likely event that you have to retake a site, Killjoy is invaluable thanks to her ultimate, Lockdown, which can trap enemies in place, allowing you to pick them off.
Jett’s mobility makes her the best duellist to pick on Pearl. Tailwind allows you to peek around corners and quickly escape danger, while updraft can instantly lift you to high ground. This is especially useful on A Site, which has one of the longest sightlines on any map in the game. Here, you can use Jett’s movement to secure the best angle and take down any attackers that step in your path.
Sova is one of the best information agents in the game and is particularly useful on Pearl. His Recon Bolt allows you to tag agents through walls, revealing their location and allowing your allies to get the drop on them. You can also send his Owl Drone through doors to reveal enemy locations. Combine these abilities with his Shock Darts and Hunter’s Fury, and you’ve got yourself a powerhouse initiator.
Pearl map tips and tricks
Pearl is one of the most versatile maps in VALORANT
Attackers’ first mission on Pearl is to take mid early. Due to its numerous routes, it’s essential to maintain control of this area. One great tactic is to use smokes to block A Art and B Connector and push through to the Plaza. From here, you’ve got access to both bomb sites. Defenders need to try and control mid too. Don’t play on-site, as attackers will overwhelm you in a flash.
Tip 2: Fake it ‘til you make it
Due to this map’s long rotations, it’s a great idea to bait the opposition using utility. A common tactic is to launch abilities on A site before rotating to B and surprising the defenders. Holding mid is crucial to this tactic – hold these corridors and you can easily slip from one site to the other before your opponents can decide where to focus their fire.
Defenders won’t have an easy job guarding B site, due to the advantageous angles attackers can exploit. The solution? Perfect your retake game. It’s better to retreat and then launch a coordinated assault to retake than suffer heavy losses and get locked out by the attacking team. B is particularly difficult to defend, so be prepared to fall back and fight from B Link to secure some crossfire kills.
The game I’m most looking forward to right now is Big Walk, the latest title from House House, creators of the brilliant Untitled Goose Game. A cooperative multiplayer adventure where players are let loose to explore an open world, I’m interested to see what emergent gameplay comes out of it. Could Big Walk allow for a kind of community archaeology with friends? I certainly hope so.
When games use environmental storytelling in their design – from the positioning of objects to audio recordings or graffiti – they invite players to role play as archaeologists. Game designer Ben Esposito infamously joked back in 2016 that environmental storytelling is the “art of placing skulls near a toilet” – which might have been a jab at the tropes of games like the Fallout series, but his quip demonstrates how archaeological gaming narratives can be. After all, the incongruity of skulls and toilets is likely to lead to many questions and interpretations about the past in that game world, however ridiculous.
I used to work as an archaeologist in the analogue world, where my work consisted of excavations, fieldworks and assessment of potential development sites across the UK. Now I’m doing a computer science PhD focusing in video game archaeology, where I get tocome up with novel ways to record gameplay experiences, like doing in-game walking interviews with players in the MMO Wurm Online, or recording the location of player messages in Elden Ring.
Because I know what being an archaeologist entails, I often find myself thinking about games that just have you play as a person with that job title, such as Tomb Raider or Uncharted, versus those that have you engage in work similar to what we do in the field. Walking sims like Gone Home and What Remains of Edith Finch invite you to explore a space and interpret what all of the objects left behind in the landscape mean. Dr Melissa Kagen, assistant teaching professor in interactive media and game development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, refers to this interpretive gameplay in walking simulators as “archival adventuring”.
Ready for role play … Outer Wilds: Archeologist Edition. Photograph: Nintendo Switch
It’s not just walking sims though. There is a growing genre of puzzle games that I would argue also puts you in the role of an archaeologist, piecing together clues about the past from material remains and archival material. Some people refer to these games as “Metroidbranias”, but I’m personally quite fond of them. Essentially, “information games” (as developer Tom Francis calls them) require players to come up with theories based on the information they have, to in turn use those theories to acquire more knowledge. With its central mechanic of deciphering an ancient language, Heaven’s Vault is an obvious candidate, but I would argue that other information games like Return of the Obra Dinn, Her Story and Outer Wilds (which literally has a special “archaeologist edition”) also encourage you to role play as an archaeologist, searching for clues in the environment and past records.
In my own work I investigate how to preserve contemporary games, as carefully as you would an ancient artefact. SoI’ve been thinking a lot about parallels in the game world too: how players record their own experiences through screenshots, map-making and diaries, and these are also methods used by real world archaeologists. Some games use these recording methods as central game mechanics. A great example is Season: A Letter to the Future, in which you document the world on the eve of its destruction in your journal. Games that inspire you to take notes also arguably result in a record of the gameplay experience – a good example is 2025’s puzzle sensation Blue Prince, which explicitly encourages players to record anything interesting they see in each of the clue-filled rooms as they explore an ever-shifting estate.
Rather than raiding tombs, if you want to be a video game archaeologist, look out for those skulls next to toilets. Better yet, record them. A future games archaeologist will thank you!
What to play
Compulsive and stylish … Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Photograph: Sega
We’re seeing a lot of classic 80s arcade games being rediscovered at the moment, with Gradius Origins pleasing shoot-em-’up purists and Bandai Namco’s Shadow Labyrinth thrillingly reimagining Pac-Man.
Next, here comes Sega with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a compulsive and stylish adventure platformer based on its classic series of ninja brawlers. A vast range of fighting skills, weapons and combos come into play as you leap across hand-drawn cyberpunk environments, all rich in detail. French developer Lizardcube has done amazing work marrying the old school immediacy of the original titles with modern features and considerable Gallic visual flair. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the blistering execution moves, which let you take out multiple enemies in a claret-soaked dance of death.
Available on: PC, PS4/5, Xbox Estimated playtime: 15 hours
What to read
Switch and bait … people wait outside the Nintendo Store for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Want to find out more about Nintendo’s approach to game design? Forthcoming book Super Nintendo, from Pushing Buttons’s own Keza MacDonald, is now available for pre-order. It’s an in-depth look behind the scenes at the legendary game and console maker, with incredible access to the design teams, including Miyamoto himself. Essential stuff.
Over 450 Diablo developers have voted to unionise, according to theCommunications Workers of America union. As Team 3 Senior Software Engineer Nav Bhetti puts it: “My entire career as a developer has seen my peers and I paying the ‘passion tax’ for working in an industry that we love.”
Have you heard of “friendslop”? Nicole Carpenter dives into the emerging genre of social games such as Peak, Lethal Company and Content Warning, and asks what developers can learn from their emphasis on essentially messing about with your mates.
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What to click
Question Block
Console wars … Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Photograph: Games Press
This week’s straightforward question comes from Richard B via email:
“Are the console wars over?”
This is a question the whole industry seems to be pondering at the moment. In February, Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, told XboxEra that he was no longer looking to take gamers from PlayStation or PC. Three months later, the previously exclusive title Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was released on PS5, and Gears of War: Reloaded is also bound for Sony’s platform. Meanwhile, Sony has brought Helldivers 2 to Xbox and more titles are likely to follow, if a recently spotted Sony job advert is to be believed.
Of course, cross play – the feature of online games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends which allows people to compete against each other whatever machine they’re using – started us off in this direction. Now, in an industry where smartphone gaming is dominating (figures by NewZoo indicate mobile games were worth $92.5bn to the global economy in 2024, compared to $50.3bn for console), and the idea of two games hardware titans expensively competing on proprietary tech and software exclusives seems increasingly anachronistic.
And yet … Gamers are intrinsically territorial and always have been, while brand loyalty is a key facet of fandom (and, let’s face it, capitalism) – see also Nikon v Canon, Nike v Reebok or Android v iPhone. Tech specs are only ever part of these conflicts – style, image and identity come into play too. So don’t expect Xbox and PlayStation to, in the near future, become mere apps on a multitude of faceless platforms. Several battles may be over, but the war lumbers on.
If you’ve got a question for Question Block – or anything else to say about the newsletter – hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.
Garmin just announced its Fenix 8 Pro series of smartwatches, which adds both cellular and satellite connectivity via the company’s InReach tech. The Fenix 8 Pro series also adds a MicroLED display version that gets a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. The catch is the watches will start at $1,199.99, with the MicroLED version going for an eye-watering $1,999.99.
The big news here is adding cellular and satellite connectivity means Fenix 8 Pro users won’t need to carry their phones. There are, however, a few caveats as Garmin will be utilizing LTE-M networks. According to its website, that means these watches will have “a data connection but not a phone number, and cannot make traditional voice calls or send SMS messages.” For those capabilities, you’ll have to either call other Fenix 8 Pro users or people who have downloaded the Garmin Messenger app, which was introduced last year.
That said, cellular connectivity does let you send 30-second voice messages via the Messenger app, allow users to send LiveTrack location sharing, and access real-time weather forecasts. Similarly, satellite connectivity will allow users to send and receive text messages via Garmin Messenger and location check-ins. SOS requests can be sent over both satellite and cellular via the Garmin Response center, which will then forward that information to emergency services, search and rescue organizations, and emergency contacts.
And of course, cellular and satellite connectivity will require an active subscription, which will start at $7.99 per month. Garmin spokesperson Natalie Miller told The Verge that the InReach activation fee would be waived for Fenix 8 Pro owners, and there will be a free 30-day trial for first-time users. But LTE network access and satellite coverage aren’t available in all countries. (You can check where coverage is available here.)
Smartwatch connectivity has been one area where Garmin has struggled to compete with competitors like the Apple Watch Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. While Garmin has the better reputation among athletes for durability, training features, and battery life, Apple and Samsung could offer phone-free experiences and safety assurances thanks to cellular. Garmin’s implementation here isn’t perfect, but it makes sense given the difficulty smaller companies experience when negotiating deals with carriers. This method relies mostly on Garmin’s existing InReach infrastructure and at least starts to address that gap. Previously, the only Garmin watches that offered any connectivity was the Forerunner 945 LTE, which was released in 2021, and its Bounce kids tracker.
On the hardware side of things, the Fenix 8 Pro series will come in two sizes: 47mm and 51mm. The OLED versions of the watches will get an estimated 27 days of battery life. The 47mm will cost $1,199.99 and the 51mm will cost $1,299.99. The $1,999.99 MicroLED version will only be available in the 51mm size, and will get up to 10 days of battery life. All three watches will be available starting September 8th.
MILAN – Golden Goose sneakers continue to sprint ahead.
An acceleration in the second quarter and a robust performance across all channels and geographies helped the Italian brand, best known for its successful Super–star sneakers and intentionally distressed styles, report a strong set of results for the first half of the year.
In the six months ended June 30, group revenues rose 13 percent to 342.1 million euros compared with 307.3 million euros in the same period last year.
In the second quarter, sales rose 14 percent, compared with growth of 12 percent in the first quarter.
Direct-to-consumer revenues climbed 19 percent to 270 million euros, compared with 226.8 million euros last year, and representing 77 percent of the total, in alignment with the company’s strategy to expand that channel of distribution. DTC sales grew 26 percent year-on-year in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, 15 percent in the Americas and 14 percent in the Asia Pacific area.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were up 3 percent to 113 million euros, representing a margin of 33 percent on sales. This compares with 109.2 million euros in the first half of 2024.
Percentage changes were provided at constant currency.
“Against a difficult macroeconomic context, our resilient performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the continued global resonance of the Golden Goose brand among its communities,” stated Silvio Campara, chief executive officer.
By geographic markets, the Europe, Middle East and Africa region reported an 18 percent growth; the U.S. were up 8 percent, and the Asia Pacific area registered a 9 percent increase in sales.
Campara touted the gains in these markets and the expansion of the Golden Goose network of stores with the opening of 10 “innovative retail concepts in key strategic cultural and lifestyle hubs, from Venice to Manila. These results confirm the power of the Golden Goose brand, the strength of our DTC and innovation-led strategy and the co-creation which keeps on reaching new heights.”
Retail Expansion and New Store Concepts
As of June 30, the brand’s retail footprint comprised 225 directly operated stores.
Among others, in the period new stores opened in Hyundai Jungdong department store in South Korea; at the Paragon shopping center in Singapore; in Manila, Ibiza, and at the Venice Airport. A standalone store focusing on kidswear opened in Dubai.
A new store concept, the Golden “Pescheria,” a seasonal pop-up inspired by Mediterranean fishing towns, debuted in luxury beach resort town Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, last June. It expanded to other holiday destinations, such as the Hamptons.
The Golden Pescheria in Forte dei Marmi
Golden Goose opened its third Forward concept store in the U.S. at the NorthPark shopping center in Dallas in June. The Forward concept hinges on the brand’s efforts around product preservation and reinvention as the company works to reduce its environmental impact, offering repair and remake services not only of its own signature sneakers, but also of products from any label. The 5,900-square-foot location followed the opening of the SoHo, NYC Forward store in 2022 and the Miami Design District location in 2023.
The company also launched a new experiential store concept in New York’s Meatpacking District, also focused on co-creation, the brand’s fourth physical retail space in the city, with other stores located in SoHo, the Upper East Side and a shop-in-shop inside Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship. The new concept features the Con Amore Corner, which provides personalized gift-wrapping options as well as coffee, sweet treats and fresh flowers.
“As always, I want to thank our passionate and loyal communities around the world, as well as our Golden Family, whose dedication and creativity bring our vision to life every day,” Campara concluded.
As of June 30, the cash position amounted to 126 million euros.
Certifications and Cultural Events
In July, Golden Goose achieved the Gender Equality European & International Standard Certification, underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, equity, and responsible workplace practices. This followed the Top Employer 2025 certification the company received in January, marking the fourth consecutive year in Italy, the third year in the United States, the second year in China, and the first time in South Korea.
The brand continued to develop its connection to art and culture. In May, kicking off the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2025, it launched “Altered States” at its Haus headquarters in Marghera , Italy, the industrial port of the lagoon city where the company was founded. Curated by Jérôme Sans, the immersive installation by artist Marco Brambilla transformed the space through a multi-sensory experience blending film, sound, and technology.
Marco Brambilla’s immersive installation at the Golden Goose Haus
At the end of April, the company was awarded the Premio Festa di San Marco by the City of Venice in recognition of Golden Goose’s contributions to the Italian city.
Brand Ambassadors and Campaigns
Further strengthening its connection with sports, Golden Goose expanded its pool of brand ambassadors by signing tennis champs Jasmine Paolini and Zizou Bergs, and padel aces Marta Ortega and Juan Lebrón.
The brand celebrated its signature Super-Star sneaker, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, with a campaign fronted by Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda and Paolini. Two-time Olympic gold medalist for skateboarding Keegan Palmer; Italy’s Paralympic athlete Alessandro Ossola; American restaurateur and entrepreneur Joe Bastianich, and fashion stylist Cristina Ehrlich joined Fonda in the campaign.
In the Asia Pacific region, Golden Goose launched two special limited editions of the Super-Star designed by global brand ambassador Jackson Yee.
Jackson Yee wearing Golden Goose
Investors’ Support
As reported, at the end of January, Blue Pool Capital, a Hong Kong-based investment firm and family office, acquired a 12 percent stake in Golden Goose. The Hong Kong-based family office was set up by Joe Tsai, cofounder and chairman of the Alibaba Group. Funds advised by Permira retained a majority investment.
Permira acquired a majority stake in the brand in 2020 to accelerate its growth through direct-to-consumer channels, in particular online and retail, and diversify its product assortment.
The sale to Blue Pool Capital was a new development after Golden Goose delayed its initial public offering in June 2024 at the 11th hour due to European market volatility. Campara has told WWD that “the process never finished for us, we continue to create value aligned with our investors, and when there will be the right market conditions, it will be an option that we will consider.”
In May, Golden Goose said it planned to sell 480 million euros of senior secured floating-rate notes expected to mature in 2031 to refinance its debt due in 2027.
Still, what Campara stands out for the most is his leadership and communication style, which is intently focused on fostering emotional connections with not only his customers but also his employees and collaborators. “My recommendation to other leaders is to keep exercising their listening skills. And it’s not about just listening with your ears but also with your heart and your instincts,” he says. “You need to understand what people fear or dream about, what is making them happy or angry. And you need to lead with empathy, which means to always take a step back and put yourself in someone else’s shoes, in order to make the next two steps forward. If you can do that in today’s world, then you can really succeed in making a brand meaningful.”
He credits a number of mentors with helping him develop his managerial skills, including Style Capital CEO Roberta Benaglia (“She showed me that every single action you take is there, reflecting in the full P&L”) and former Armani Exchange global director Andrea Paoluzzi, who taught him the importance of letting your team see what you see.
This year marks the company’s 25th anniversary.
Campara stands out for his leadership style, which is focused on fostering emotional connections.
The first seeds for Campara’s own brand of management, however, can be traced back to the time he worked as an events co-ordinator and assistant store manager for Alexander McQueen in London. “Giovanni Pisu, the then global retail director of Alexander McQueen, taught me that leadership is directly related to energy. Any time he would enter the store, everyone felt his presence. He always had a smile on his face and the ability to make you feel like the most important person on the planet. He wasn’t faking it, he probably is the person most devoted to people I’ve ever met,” he recounts.
He is known for saying that instead of chief executive officer, he would rather his job title be chief emotional officer. Which could be seen as a little cheesy but, in his case, it’s genuine and it works — Golden Goose products sell and the company keeps growing. At the Vogue Business Global Summit in Lake Como back in May, which Campara attended as a speaker, the line of people waiting to talk to him was long.
“People tend to joke about the chief emotional officer thing, but it’s not a joke and it’s not a strategy. It’s the reason why we are successful,” he shrugs. “Anyone can have ideas, but nothing will come out of an idea if you don’t put your heart into it and dress it with emotions.”
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us atfeedback@voguebusiness.com.
More from this author:
How Trinny Woodall built a beauty empire for tired women
Brad Pitt, Sat Hari and the long road to linen
‘Nobody wants to shop’: CEO Silvio Campara on making Golden Goose stand out in a slow market
Sept. 3, 2025 — Today, The Pokémon Company International announced that the latest expansion in the best-selling Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Mega Evolution—Phantasmal Flames, will launch beginning Nov. 14, 2025, at participating retailers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Phantasmal Flames will introduce more mighty Mega Evolution Pokémon to the Pokémon TCG, with a focus on Fire-type and Darkness-type Pokémon. Players can look forward to discovering and collecting cards featuring Mega Charizard X and Mega Gengar as well as new Pokémon ex cards, which will make their first appearance in the Mega Evolution Series.
In addition, players can continue to discover the recently introduced and distinctive art style of ultra rare Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, which may feature a silhouette of the regular version of that Pokémon in the background of the artwork.
Noteworthy cards from the expansion include:
Six Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
Four Pokémon ex
13 illustration rare Pokémon
17 ultra rare Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, Trainer and Energy cards
Five special illustration rare Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and Supporter cards
Players can find Mega Evolution—Phantasmal Flames in booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes and various collections at participating retailers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Pokémon TCG players will have the opportunity to play with Mega Evolution—Phantasmal Flames before launch by attending one of the many Prerelease tournaments held as part of the Play! Pokémon program, taking place beginning Nov. 1, 2025 at participating independent retailers.
Ahead of the release of the tabletop version, players will be able to play with Mega Evolution— Phantasmal Flames digitally starting Nov. 13, 2025 via the Pokémon TCG Live app for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows devices. Players can collect and battle with new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex cards and receive in-game bonuses when logging in to the app.
To learn more about the Pokémon TCG, please visit Pokemon.com/TCG.
Windows 10 is reaching end-of-life next month, which means Microsoft will no longer issue patches and no longer provide functional enhancements for free.
Those organisations that have yet to migrate PCs off Windows 10 face a hefty bill if they want to continue to receive Windows 10 patches. But this is not something that can be kept in place long term, which means IT leaders must now shift their entire PC estate onto the next version of Windows.
There may have been many good reasons not to upgrade Windows 10, but IT leaders are being urged to prioritise the upgrade, as unpatched Windows 10 machines are likely to be targeted by cyber criminals.
Analysis from Nexthink estimates that custom support to continue running Windows 10 could collectively cost organisations billions of dollars. According to Nexthink analysis of customer endpoints, there has been a 33% decrease in Windows 10 devices between 19 May and 1 August. Assuming a further 33% reduction by the 14 October, that would leave around 121 million Windows 10 PCs. At $61 per device for the first year of custom support, organisations could collectively be facing a bill of just more than $7.3bn.
While Windows 11 has been available since October 2021, many organisations have been slow to adopt it. Operating system upgrades are often aligned to a refresh of PC hardware, so when a PC is replaced, the new machine will have Windows 11.
With support for Windows 10 ending on 14 October, those organisations that have yet to migrate their PC estate fully over to Windows 11 will no longer receive operating system patches and updates unless they buy Microsoft Extended Support (ESU).
Microsoft had previously promised that Windows 10 would be the latest major Windows upgrade. Ranjt Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner, said: “I remember when Windows 10 came out after Windows 7, and I’m sure Microsoft said it was going to be the last big upgrade.”
At the time, people believed there would be no Windows 11, but then Microsoft released a major new version of the Windows operating system and so support for Windows 10 is ending. As Atwal points out, the 14 October end-of life-date for Windows 10 essentially means that there will be no further security updates issued for Windows 10.
“There’ll be no more bug fixes or performance enhancements,” he warned. Businesses can buy an ESU, but Atwal expects that only a small number of organisations will pay for this, to provide a “support” bridge enabling them to continue to receive support from Microsoft when they complete the migration away from Windows 10.
Among the questions people will often ask is why is there a need to upgrade the operating system, especially if they are not planning to run any new applications or buy new peripherals that only run on the newest version of Windows. Atwal said: “There’s so much legacy software and peripherals that are supported through the Windows operating system that at some point it all becomes too much in terms of the size code being supported.”
Microsoft puts in a place a mechanism that effectively limits which applications and device driver software is able to run. The Secure Boot feature is enabled by default in Windows 11, but is optional on Windows 10, which means older pieces of software and device drivers that need to be digitally signed cannot be installed on the newer operating system.
Adoption of AI PCs
Removing support for older hardware also allows Microsoft to offer new capabilities such as the AI features now being built into Copilot+ PCs, conversational AI which offer a different way to interact with the device. In terms of introducing new features and the functionality, Atwal notes that it is an easier step for Microsoft to make to add these into Windows 11 rather than introduce them as updates for Windows 10.
Gartner forecasts that by 2026, over half (55%) of PCs sold will be AI PCs. “AI PCs are reshaping the market, but their adoption in 2025 is slowing because of tariffs and pauses in PC buying caused by market uncertainty,” said Atwal.
Tim Flower, digital employee strategist at Nexthink, added: “Moving from one operating system to another shouldn’t feel like a disruption, it should be an opportunity to improve how employees work every day. That means understanding how devices and applications perform before the migration, anticipating issues and problems, and taking steps to ensure migrations and upgrades run smoothly. The goal is to avoid productivity being interrupted by an IT event, and help organisations to see clear benefits from their investment.”
