5 biggest news stories of 2022 in Microsoft, PCs, Windows, and more

2020 was a massive year for Microsoft-related news. Two major consoles launched, Microsoft announced several new Surface devices, and PC parts took a major bound forward. We published thousands of news stories this twelvemonth, but five topics stood out in a higher place the rest as the biggest news stories of 2022 in Microsoft, PCs, and Windows.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Pc Source: Windows Central

In a twelvemonth when more than people worked and studied from home than ever, Microsoft Teams usage skyrocketed. The advice platform'south daily agile user count was at 20 meg people in November 2022. By March that figure was up to 44 million, then it reached 75 million in April. The last fourth dimension Microsoft shared figures was in October when Teams striking 115 million daily agile users.

Microsoft Teams' growth wasn't just about more than people jumping onto the platform. Grid views grew from four people to 9 people to 49 people in 2022. Teams upped the maximum participant count for meetings up to 300, and new features like Together Mode and Gallery view make information technology piece of cake to see everyone in meetings at once. Microsoft even rolled out a personal version of Teams aimed at keeping friends and family unit in impact.

At times in 2022, Teams was behind other surging services, such as Zoom — there weren't Teams custom backgrounds until June — but Microsoft invested heavily into the platform. Teams is now available on PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhone, and Android devices. Microsoft fifty-fifty rolled out a version for Linux and optimized one for Windows 10 on ARM.

Microsoft also pushed to get Teams into the eyes of the public. The company rolled out advertizing campaigns for the platform and worked with the NBA to bring fans courtside during the playoff bubble. It's clear that Teams is here to stay and that Microsoft is investing time, endeavor, and resource into making it compete with other top communication apps.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams allows you to collaborate with colleagues, upload files, ship letters, and chat through video. Information technology integrates with Part 365 and several other cloud services.

Xbox Series X and Series S

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Retail Boxes Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Serial Southward usher in the next generation of console gaming. They feature fast SSDs that bring insane loading times, accept excellent new features like Quick Resume, and make old Xbox games expect even improve.

The Xbox Serial X has a design heavily inspired by gaming PCs. It emphasizes airflow and helps the console power through games without getting hot. The Xbox Serial X can handle 4K gaming and 120FPS, which was unheard of in consoles until recently. The Xbox Series S might not power 4K gaming like its big sibling, but it has many of the same next-gen improvements.

While the hardware of both consoles is impressive, the launch lineup for them is disappointing. With Halo Space getting bumped to adjacent year and a lack of blockbuster titles, many felt that they could wait to upgrade to the next-gen, which might be just every bit well since it tin can be hard to detect a panel in stock these days.

While there isn't a long list of launch titles, both the Xbox Series Ten and Series Southward benefit profoundly from Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's Netflix-way subscription that gets you access to hundreds of games for a flat monthly rate. Xbox Game Pass is the best value in gaming, and many of the games on it look ameliorate than ever on adjacent-generation hardware.

Best of the best

Xbox Game Laissez passer Ultimate

Xbox Game Laissez passer and Xbox Live Gold in 1

Xbox Game Pass gives y'all access to over a hundred games for one monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also adds Xbox Live Gilded and Game Pass for PC to the package and then you can play online with your friends.

Surface Duo

Surface Duo 2022 Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

2020 was the year of the folding device. Samsung released the Milky way Fold 2, Motorola released the RAZR 2, at least of the smartphone variety, and Lenovo fifty-fifty released a folding estimator, the ThinkPad X1 Fold. But when it comes to folding tech, Microsoft took a different approach. Instead of releasing a device with a single screen that folds, the visitor launched the Surface Duo, a folding telephone centered around multitasking.

The Surface Duo has ii dissever displays fastened by a 360-degree swivel. Y'all can drag content betwixt its displays or span websites and apps across both screens at one time. Information technology's a unique arroyo, and the device has been met with mixed reviews. Most reviews, including our own Surface Duo review, came away impressed by the hardware only disappointed by the overall device feel.

Our executive editor sums up the Surface Duo all-time past maxim:

Microsoft gets points for a radically new mobile thought that has 18-carat merit. Microsoft loses points simply because the software is halfbaked, and it needs more than dual-screen apps; but zilch is fundamentally wrong with the underlying concept. With a few updates, Surface Duo could admittedly be life-changing, opening new doors for working on the go or the couch. But if you're going to buy Surface Duo, only information technology for what it is, not what information technology may be.

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Microsoft Surface Duo

Two screens are better than one.

Microsoft delves into the future of foldables with an ambitious dual-screen device, featuring two ultra-sparse 5.6-inch AMOLED displays bound by a 360-degree hinge. This pocketable inking-enabled Android smartphone marks the latest in the Surface lineup, geared for mobile productivity.

Panos Panay heading up Windows and hardware

Panos Panay Source: Windows Primal

Windows x has been out for years, but it still doesn't have a unified look and feel. It all the same has clunky menus from previous versions of Windows and is far less refined than other operating systems like macOS. Inconsistency and lack of attention to detail are some of the many things that will be tackled by Panos Panay.

Panay, who is best recognized for his work on Microsoft'southward Surface lineup, became the leader of Microsoft's Devices and Windows Experiences team, which is made up of a combination of what was once the Windows Experience (client) and Microsoft hardware teams.

Panay has a passion and drive that should invigorate Windows ten and help information technology meet the loftier standards set by Panay himself. Panay has shown incredible attending to detail when it comes to Surface hardware, and that particular-oriented drive could be just what Windows 10 needs.

We'll see the offset major fruits of this change in an upcoming Windows 10 UI overhaul codenamed Project Sunday Valley. Our senior editor, Zac Bowden, reports that "Microsoft is planning to update many peak-level user interfaces such as the Start menu, Action Center, and even File Explorer, with consistent modern designs, ameliorate animations, and new features." The UI overhaul should roll out before the end of 2022, though plans are always subject field to change.

NVIDIA and AMD GPUs

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

2020 wasn't just a bang-up year for panel gaming; AMD and NVIDIA rolled out some incredible GPUs this year. The new GPUs bring more power, powerful ray tracing, and put their predecessors to shame in terms of value for money.

Squad green launched the RTX 30 series of graphics cards, including the RTX 3070, 3080, and the monstrous RTX 3090. The RTX 3090 paves the way for 8K gaming at 60FPS, which almost feels unreal to write.

AMD's RX 6000 family unit of GPUs is every bit impressive. The RX 6900 XT goes toe-to-toe with the RTX 3090, even beating it out in frame rates on some games at 4K. AMD pushes the graphics carte competition forrard as well by offer incredible value for a cost that's making many gamers consider a swap to team cerise.

The downside to all these great graphics cards is that you tin't purchase them anywhere. On launch day after launch day, the in-need graphics cards sold out well-nigh instantly. In many cases, people saw a "Sold Out" badge on a listing before ever having a chance to buy a card. Here'southward hoping that in 2022 nosotros'll be able to become our hands on these cards to power the latest PC games like Cyberpunk 2077.

More to come

Windows 10X Mock Laptop Dark Source: Daniel Rubino/Windows Central

While Microsoft and Windows had a large twelvemonth in 2022, 2022 is fix to be even bigger. With an overhaul to Windows 10, Windows 10X, and Windows 10 'Deject PC' on the manner, 2022 could be the biggest twelvemonth for the operating systems we've seen in a while. We also expect to see several impressive pieces of hardware.

What did you think the biggest story was in 2022? What are you looking forward to in 2022? Let us know in the comments beneath.

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