All the big announcements as Microsoft launches Windows 11

A revamped Microsoft Store, new start menu, smaller updates and new organisational tools are among the features in Windows 11

Microsoft has confirmed the launch of Windows 11, which will include a host of new features such as a new start menu, smaller updates and a revamped Microsoft Store.

It comes after the vendor set a date to pull the plug on Windows 10 in 2025, despite previously hinting that it could be its last ever version by instead going down the route of smaller, more regular updates.

Among the most notable features included in the next generation of Windows is a new start menu, which Microsoft says makes it easier to navigate your PC.

Updates will be "40 per cent smaller" and "more efficient as they happen in the background", chief product officer Panos Panay said, adding that the product will be "faster" while also using "less energy" to preserve battery life.

"Windows 11 is the most secure windows yet," Panay said at the virtual launch for Windows 11.

"All of this craftsmanship from the details of design through to the performance, they come together to empower you to produce and inspire you to create."

On top of that, Microsoft has introduced something called snap rooms which remembers your configuration of apps if you move to another task or unplug your PC from your docking station, and snap layouts which lets you pick how you want your apps to be displayed.

It will also feature multiple desktops, a new tool which lets you easily switch between different setups e.g. work and gaming, as well as Widgets - a personalised feed which appears on a "glass-like" panel over the top of the screen.

Teams will be more integrated into Windows with a new chat feature which allows users to "instantly connect through text, chat, voice or video", Microsoft says.

And the Microsoft Store has been completely revamped to be "built for speed" with a brand-new design, while Android apps will now be available in Windows via the Amazon app store.

Panay encouraged developers to bring "any technology" to the store, promising an "industry leading revenue share" of 85/15 for those using Microsoft's commerce engine and "100 per cent" of the revenue for those using their own commerce.

Using Windows 11 on a tablet will now be easier too, Microsoft claims, with better touch and enhancements to voice typing.

Windows 11 is expected to be available to the general public around December time.

"Today marks a major milestone in the history of Windows," CEO Satya Nadella said.

"This is the first version of a new era of Windows we're building for the next decade and beyond."