- Microsoft is expected to release Hudson Valley update in 2024. It could happen as early as May 2024.
- Hudson Valley is touted as a groundbreaking update with new AI features such as advanced copilot, AI wallpapers, super resolution, and more.
- A new roadmap for Windows is in the works, bringing a different update cycle for the OS.
Windows 11 has evolved so much over the years! We recently got the Copilot AI update, along with other features like Background Removal in Paint. All of the recent updates in Windows 11 that MS put out are within the realm of AI-powered improvements to the operating system.
Reportedly, Microsoft is switching to a new roadmap for Windows update cycles soon. Moreover, the ‘Hudson Valley’ update is coming and will bring an assortment of AI-focused features for Windows in 2024. This information comes via Windows Central, which claims to have exclusive sources describing the roadmap & the upcoming ‘Hudson Valley‘ update for Windows.
We could see Hudson Valley appear as early as June 2024. This is based on the report’s information, which claims that OEMs could be readying up ARM-enabled PCs with Snapdragon X Elite to start shipping around that date. However, keep in mind that all this is not entirely confirmed.
Hudson Valley Is All About Artificial Intelligence
The main focus of the upcoming Hudson Valley update is said to be bringing “next-generation AI experiences” to the next major release of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. These features are expected to be tightly woven around the Windows OS, allowing for high versatility. A big feature of Hudson Valley is said to be “advanced Copilot.” Many impressive capabilities were described:
- Running in the background to continually understand the context
- Enhanced search, with the ability to accept natural language inputs
- New ‘history/timeline’ feature in the works
According to the sources of Windows Central, these new AI features will be ‘groundbreaking.’ Other new AI-enabled features were also mentioned in the report. Reportedly, new ‘AI-powered wallpapers‘ are also coming to Windows through the Hudson Valley update. It has been described as having the ability to understand the layers of the image.
Furthermore, the AI wallpaper will dynamically produce a parallax effect that gives an immersive effect to the wallpaper. It could even interact with your mouse cursor and the built-in gyroscope of the PC. This feature was also brought by Razer into Windows through their Axon App, however Razer’s solution is paid one.
A new ‘Super Resolution‘ feature is expected to be present. This is said to upgrade the image quality dynamically in photos, videos, and even games! The energy-saving mode of Windows is also expected to become better. Lastly, a new desktop interface could happen with the Hudson Valley update. This new UI could place the system tray at the top instead.
New Roadmap for Windows Planned
WindowsReport also speaks on a new roadmap for Windows updates. After Hudson Valley drops for everyone, it is expected that Microsoft will switch to a yearly cycle for major Windows updates. In the past few years, MS has essentially released groups of new features in the form of Windows feature updates.
These kinds of updates have been released several times within a year. As per the new planned roadmap, MS will essentially focus on one major update per year instead of multiple smaller ones. That also means the company has abandoned its previous 3-year cycle.
However, the bigger speculation right now is whether or not the Hudson Valley update will actually mean that Windows 12 is coming. According to the sources of WindowsReport, “Microsoft has become weary of further fragmenting the Windows user base with another product release.”
In the end, it will come down to Microsoft’s intentions with how massive this update is and how it wants to market it. As we said, Hudson Valley is a planned update to Windows expected to come in 2024.
Upcoming Windows AI Features: Are They Exclusive to New PCs or Not?
The report also lists NPU hardware powering certain features. However, it could just be that Intel processors with an NPU chip (such as upcoming Intel 14th Gen Core Ultra processors) will work faster than the PCs that don’t have it.
After the Hudson Valley update drops in, we can expect many AI features to work offline, too (thanks to NPU) simply. But what about PCs without the chip? It is unclear for now which upcoming Windows AI features will be exclusive to modern PCs and whether or not they will work for older PCs.
If I were to speculate, I think non-NPU-enabled PCs will essentially have a higher reliance on the cloud. As a result, standard PCs would have lower speeds during AI processing as compared to PCs with NPU chips. Intel’s 14th Gen Meteor Lake is the first processor with onboard NPU chips. AMD will also release its Ryzen 8000 processors in 2024, with an NPU chip and XDNA 2. However, older PCs won’t be completely left in the dust and should also get various AI features through the next major Windows update.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming ‘Hudson Valley‘ update to Windows? Do you think Microsoft will basically release Windows 12 when it is time for this update to drop? Let us know in the comments below.
