With the memory crunch, Microsoft finally seems to be paying attention to lower-end systems again.
For years, PC users with 8 GB of RAM have felt like they’ve been left behind by Windows 11. Between an operating system that’s becoming increasingly resource-hungry and native apps that are far from exemplary, the configuration that once represented the market standard now struggles to deliver a truly smooth Windows 11 experience. Microsoft finally seems to have decided to tackle the problem. In an update to its roadmap focused on Windows 11 quality, the company announced that optimizing memory usage is becoming one of its priorities for the coming months. The goal is clear: to reduce the system’s memory footprint in order to maintain responsiveness on PCs equipped with 8 GB of RAM—a configuration that remains very common on entry-level and mid-range machines.
Microsoft isn’t promising a miracle, but rather a series of improvements across several Windows components. In particular, the company explains that it has adopted a more efficient memory allocator to limit memory leaks caused by applications and various system services. The company is also working on WinUI 3—the framework used by a growing number of Windows apps—to make it more resource-efficient. The same approach applies to components based on Chromium and WebView2, which are ubiquitous in the Windows 11 interface and are regularly criticized for their high RAM consumption. However, Microsoft remains tight-lipped about the main point of interest to users: concrete performance gains. No figures have been released, and the company hasn’t specified whether these optimizations will arrive via a single update or over the course of several versions of Windows 11.
Note that memory isn’t the only area Microsoft is working on. The company says it has revamped the File Explorer architecture to improve its launch speed, stability, and navigation. Among the fixes mentioned are blurry thumbnails, occasionally unstable transitions on the home screen, issues related to renaming files, and problems with displaying file sizes. These are small details when taken individually, but they all contribute to the impression of sluggishness often criticized in Windows 11. This performance push will be accompanied by other updates planned for the rest of the year. Microsoft mentions a faster installation process, simplified access to parental control features, and more natural voice interaction. Most of these new features are currently being tested within the Windows Insider Program before a phased rollout to all users.
