Category: Hardware

So, the annual Microsoft Surface event is over (but you can check its highlights on YouTube). The Redmond software giant introduced a bunch of new devices, including Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Duo 2, Surface Go 3, Surface Pro X, and a number of new accessories. Here are the devices announced today.

Back in June 2021, NVIDIA released its first WHQL Game Ready driver with official Windows 11 support. That release, alongside subsequent updates, let users with Windows 11 preview builds utilize optimized GPU drivers and get better performance. With Windows 11 being just two weeks from public availability, NVIDIA released a new driver with the official support for the initial Windows 11 release on October 5, 2021.

On September 22, Microsoft will reveal new Surface hardware, such as redesigned eight-gen Surface Pro, third-gen Surface Go, second-gen Surface Duo, and a new powerful laptop to replace Surface Book. As is usually the case, last-minute leaks shed light. Just a couple of days before the event, Surface Pro 8 specs leak, revealing some exciting hardware upgrades in the next flagship tablet from Microsoft.

It is a well-known fact that Surface Duo's hardware is underwhelming at best. The smartphone went on sale with an old CPU, no NFC, no wireless charging, and an atrocious camera. It takes a lot of faith in the idea behind Surface Duo to accept all those limitations and deal with poor software support (the smartphone remains stuck with Android 10 despite Microsoft's promises to deliver Android 11 this Summer). Still, despite a somewhat rocky start, Microsoft does not plan to give up on Surface Duo. A couple of days before the official unveiling, an FCC listing revealed huge hardware improvements coming in the second-gen Surface Duo.

A little less than a month before Microsoft ships Windows 11 to the public, AMD joins Intel and NVIDIA with its latest drivers for the newest operating system from Microsoft. Now AMD users can install Windows 11-optimized chipset and GPU drivers for improved compatibility and performance.

After releasing new firmware for the third-gen Surface Book several days ago, Microsoft pushed another set of patches, this time for Surface Go 2.

Updates for Xbox controllers are not that frequent when compared to software updates for Windows or Xbox. Still, sometimes, Microsoft releases new firmware to improve connectivity, fix bugs, or even add new features to existing hardware. For example, Microsoft plans to add Bluetooth Low Energy for reduced latency and multi-device support to existing Xbox Wireless Controllers with Bluetooth. To get those features, you need to update firmware on Xbox Wireless Controller.

On September 22, 2021, Microsoft holds its Surface event, on which the company plans to unveil new generations of Surface devices. According to numerous rumors, Microsoft will reveal a redesigned fourth-gen Surface Book in a new form factor and name. While Surface fans eagerly wait for the new hardware to drop, Microsoft continues providing firmware updates for existing devices. Those owning a third-gen Surface Book 3 can download a fresh set of patches from Windows Update. New firmware is available for both 13 and 15-inch versions of Surface Book 3.

Microsoft is working tirelessly to bring new features and quality-of-life improvements to those owning Xbox Series X|S consoles. Soon, the latest generation of Xbox will receive a high-resolution dashboard, Night Mode, and Chromium-based Edge (Xbox consoles are the only devices remaining with the legacy Edge). Besides, Microsoft is actively developing a new feature to control a console using a regular TV remote.

In 2020, Microsoft announced new Xbox consoles and updated wireless controllers. Besides having an additional Share button, USB-C, and refined texture, new gamepads offer multi-device connection and Bluetooth LE support for better connectivity and reduced latency. Although previous-gen controllers work with new consoles without problems, those gamepads lack cross-device connectivity and reduced latency. Microsoft wants to fix that with a new firmware now rolling out to Xbox Insiders.