Windows 12 won't be the savior Windows 10 users are hoping for — Here's why

I hate to sound like a broken record to those in the know, but, if you aren't already aware, Windows 10 will be retired by Microsoft later this year — with its official end-of-support date billed for October 12, 2025. That means no more security updates, no more fixes, no more features, and no more technical support.

The obvious and clearly pushed solution? Upgrade to Windows 11. However, for some, that's easier said than done. Microsoft's current flagship operating system is something of a mixed bag to many. With its divisive design choices, stricter hardware requirements, and questionable stability, it hasn't won everybody over. In fact, it hasn't even won most people over. Currently, estimates provided by StatCounter suggest that Windows 11 has only a 36.6% share of the Windows desktop market, compared to the 60.3% share held by Windows 10.

'Lo, a chorus of angels rings out to honor the emergence of Windows 12, suspended on a beam of light, cascading directly from Heaven — or at least, the hope of it. The savior of Windows 10 users is naught but whispers from the lips of tech tipsters, with Microsoft having not said a thing about a new milestone Windows release officially. Still, many are hoping it'll right the perceived wrongs of Windows 11, following Microsoft's near-tradition of providing good-again, bad-again operating system releases.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but even if Windows 12 is coming, it may not be the beacon of light many are hoping for. In fact, to those crossing their fingers, toes, and eyes, as they wish for a chance to skip Windows 11 entirely — you may be manifesting a journey that sends you out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Could Microsoft's next OS fix Windows 11's biggest failings, or could Windows 12 double down on two of the most contentious issues users are struggling with: stricter hardware requirements and AI overload?

If I was a betting man, my money would be on the latter.

Windows users, Microsoft Copilot is your ride or die (whether you like it or not)

Microsoft invested $1 billion in ChatGPT makers OpenAI in 2019. By late 2024, that figure had reportedly climbed to nearly $14 billion — and it's almost certainly grown since.

Even to a company with a $3 trillion valuation like Microsoft, that's hardly chump change. Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI, granting it access to several cutting-edge models, has given the company a clear edge in AI integration. Like it or not, the fact that even Microsoft Paint boasts generative AI proves that AI isn't just a fancy add-on, it's the new default for Windows. From this moment on, it's Copilot all the way down.

Microsoft isn't pushing AI tools, it's on a quest to turn Windows into an AI operating system, and won't let a few controversial hurdles slow it down. Whether that means weathering privacy concerns with Microsoft Recall or routinely cleaning up the mistakes of Windows' AI assistant, Copilot — as with its most recent blunder: helping users illegally activate copies of Windows 11.

Windows 12 could bring about a hard time for hardware

Windows 11's hardware demands left many users sitting in front of perfectly functional computers that Microsoft had no problem labeling as e-waste.

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chips are standard now, but in 2021, when Windows 11 launched, they weren't. Microsoft's insistence on this hardware inclusion left many users stranded on Windows 10, unwilling to overhaul their hardware to meet an arbitrary requirement. Some even see it as something of a forced maneuver by Microsoft to get people to buy new computers.

If you think that's bad, just wait. Microsoft's clear desire to cram more AI into Windows makes me think it's not out of pocket to suggest that if and when Windows 12 arrives, it'll flat-out refuse to run on anything that's not an AI PC, complete with a new NPU-embracing processor that meets the Copilot+ PC standard.

The lesser of two evils? Windows 11 might not be so bad after all

To those eagerly awaiting Windows 12's grand debut, I say this: be careful what you wish for. Microsoft's next big leap could leave you feeling further behind than ever.

Suddenly, Windows 11 doesn't look so bad. Sure, it's only winning against a strawman of speculation, but it might just be the lesser of two evils. Yes, it still has its problems — ask anyone stung by the recent Windows update that borked the operating system's vital File Explorer. However, it sure beats the hypothetical alternative.

Of course, you could always avoid all of these headaches entirely and jump ship. I hear macOS is nice this time of year. Or, for the adventurous (and nerdy), there's always the strange and interesting world of Linux — as did Laptop Mag contributing writer Stevie Bonifield. But for life-long Windows familiars like myself, that's a leap that may cost both time and money.

If you're wishing upon a star that Windows 12 can swoop in and fix everything wrong with Windows 11, you might want to steady your expectations. If Microsoft's new AI-fueled direction is anything to go by, Windows 12 won't be the savior you're hoping for.

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