What Do We Know About Sun Valley?
The news of this UI update comes to us from Windows Central, which heard of this development through Microsoft sources.
Sun Valley is currently planned to launch in a larger update with the codename “Cobalt.” Cobalt is planned to release in the holiday season of 2021, so it’s still a little way off.
Because Microsoft has not officially announced this update, we don’t have a lot of information Sun Valley; all we have are some nuggets of information. However, the scraps we do have are interesting enough to explore by themselves.
First, the Start menu and the Action Center will get a revamp. It’s likely that they’ll both be updated to look like their Windows 10X counterparts instead.
Next, the File Explorer will also get a touch-up. This is pretty big, as File Explorer has looked the same for years now. The Taskbar will also be redone with a brand new codebase.
Why Is Microsoft Revamping Windows 10?
Windows 10 doesn’t look terrible per se, and a lot of the code that it brought in from older versions of Windows still works pretty well. So, after all these years of the same UI, why is Microsoft deciding to give it a rework?
The thing is, Microsoft should have been more active with keeping Windows 10 updated and fresh. Over the years, however, the company has had its focus shifted to other areas and left Windows 10 to fend by itself.
However, Microsoft is seeing renewed interest in Windows systems. The company enjoyed huge profits during the COVID-19 outbreak due to the shift in remote work. Now, the demand for personal laptops and cloud-based services were on the rise.
Even if we take the optimistic route and say that the pandemic will be a thing of the past when 2021 comes around, people are likely to continue using the hardware and services they bought for remote work, even if they use it less.
As such, this update can be seen as Microsoft bringing its operating system into the current era. People need Microsoft’s services more than ever, so it’s only fitting that some of its older components get a much-needed lick of paint.
A Brand New Face for Windows 10
After years of being left alone by Microsoft, Windows 10 has a big update in the works that revamps its UI. The question remains, however; what will the new Windows 10 look like?
That’s not to say that Microsoft has totally abandoned Windows 10. After all, a recent Insider build revealed that Windows 10 will soon have an easy-to-change refresh rate setting.
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