Windows 11 is going to be here for a while now and with Windows 10 being sunset, it’s probably time you look into upgrading to it. That or checking out another operating system, because Microsoft won’t be backing down from the two twigs any time soon.

With that said, the new features coming to Windows 11 soon aren’t exactly the most thrilling in the world. I mean, their Android implementation seemed tepid at best and the overall platform is still in dire need of a user interface overhaul to make it navigatable by humans who sometimes need more than little icons.

So what could Microsoft be possibly cooking up in their cauldron of love that I presume they have hidden in Seattle? Well, it seems to do with providing a more stable and focused machine for you to work on.

See, as these companies have stuffed their software with so many different distractions since their inception, moving further and further away from providing utilitarian machines for work and fun machines for play, combining everything into one large unfeasible lump, Microsoft and Apple have ultimately decided that with the massive advent of working from home now being a thing, they should probably do something about it.

This is where the first feature comes in, as Microsoft will be following Apple’s iOS and macOS feature of ‘focus’ by bringing it to prominence. It’s been in Windows since 10, but it has been utterly useless in terms of providing a focused environment. It can currently disable notifications at certain times. Great. Do you know what else disables notifications at certain times? Turning them off all the way.

Focus Assist will thus become Focus – original – and from there on, will be implemented across the board into Outlook, as well as Windows and the notifications. Focus will be able to turn off flashing notifications, the sliding notifications and any icons or badges from apps that happen to display those.

This pales in comparison to the options available elsewhere or through other programs, but it seems to be a start. On iOS and iPadOS you can turn off whole segments of functionality or even display unique app pages to help prevent you from getting into the parts of the phone that seem to be pulling you away.

Notifications are also being pulled to the front, with options surrounding them – like turning them off – now highlighted instead of being buried under the mess that is Windows 11‘s Settings app.

Also coming is Sustainability, which appears to be a further power management option for those who might be conscious of the environment that their machine is draining from the various power grids around the world. I’m sure this feature will – much like most new additions to Windows 11 – will go completely ignored in favour of getting the most out of the machine you’ve paid a fortune for.

Albacore also mentions that they’ve spotted more tablet-based options creeping back into Windows 11, as the Windows tablet manufacturers and Microsoft themselves begin migrating their stock over to the newer platform. Presumably, this is to offset usability for those who didn’t fork out the extra few hundred dollars for the keyboard on a Microsoft Surface.

About the Author

Joel Loynds

Joel is a a lover of janky games, Magic the Gathering, and going down rabbit holes. For PC Guide he has written about peripherals, the Steam Deck, retro games, news and more.