Microsoft says Windows 11 is getting more attention where many users probably want it most, that is, performance.
Speaking at IFA 2026, Mark Linton, head of Windows & Devices at Microsoft, said the company is working on faster startup times and better overall responsiveness. Windows Hello has already received improvements, and Microsoft says more performance enhancements are on the way.
The company also repeated its promise to make Windows 11 run better on PCs with just 8GB of RAM. That commitment is particularly interesting given that Microsoft now sells entry-level Surface laptops with exactly 8GB of memory.
For years, 8GB has technically been enough to run Windows 11, but anyone who regularly uses a browser with dozens of tabs, Teams, Office, and other applications knows that meaning enough and comfortable are not always the same thing. Windows 11 can feel noticeably less responsive once memory starts running low.
Microsoft has not yet explained exactly how it plans to improve the experience. The changes could involve better memory management, reduced background activity, or further optimization of Windows itself. For now, the company is only promising that weaker hardware hasn’t been forgotten.
There is also no release date. Microsoft says the improvements will arrive through future Windows 11 updates, but it remains unclear which update will bring the faster boot times and better performance on 8GB machines. Still, after years of Windows 11 becoming increasingly demanding, the idea of Microsoft focusing on making the operating system lighter and more responsive is one of the more welcome promises coming out of IFA 2026.