We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.

Windows 11

Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order...
Dark mode improvements to File Explorer
Widgets major overhaul with separate widgets and Discovery feed
Xbox Full Screen experience - especially good on handhelds, of course, but also any PC you use for gaming with a controller
Click to Do (Copilot+ PC only)
External fingerprint reader support for Windows Hello ESS

-External/USB webcams supported by Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ PC only)
Quick Machine Recovery is the tip of a wave of new foundational features like Admin Protection, Smart App Control (updates), and more that go beyond surface-level look and feel
Redesigned Start menu isn't perfect but it's a nice improvement
Copilot Vision, though this type of thing may make more sense on phones
AI features in Paint, Photos, Notepad, and Snipping Tool
Natural language interactions like the agent in Settings, file search, and more (mostly Copilot+ PC only, but you can do this in Copilot as well)
Bluetooth LE support for improved audio quality in game chat, voice calls
Gaming on Windows 11 on Arm and Snapdragon X: Major steps forward, but the same issue as always
Looking ahead to 2026: 26H1, Agentic features that work, potential Windows 12, and AI PCs

AI

An extensive new interview with Mustafa Suleyman confirms why this guy is special and how confusing it is that Copilot is so disrespected
Microsoft Copilot is auto-installing on LG smart TVs and there's no way to remove it
GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's answer to Gemini 3
ChatGPT Images is OpenAI's answer to Nano Banana Pro
Disney invests $1 billion OpenAI, sues Google
Opera Neon is now generally available for $20 per month
AI is moving quick as we all know but the bigger issue may be the incessant marketing about features like agents that don't even work now
Microsoft is getting pushback on forced Copilot usage, price hikes
Google is expanding its use of "experiments" outside of mainstream products with things like NotebookLM, Mixboard, CC, and much more. Maybe this is the better approach: Test separately and then integrate it into existing products
Oddly enough, Microsoft does have a Windows AI Lab for this kind of experimentation
Many small models vs. one big LLM in the cloud

Mobile

Fortnite is back in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as Google plays nice
Apple loses its contempt appeal, the end of "junk fees" (Apple Tax) is in sight

Xbox and gaming

Xbox December Update has one big update for the mobile app and one big update for Xbox Wireless Headphones
There's a new Xbox Developer Direct coming in January
Half-Life 3 may really be happening, but it will be a Steam Machine launch title so it could be a while

Tips & picks

Tip of the year: De-enshittify Windows 11
App pick of the year: Fortnite
RunAs Radio this week: Zero Trust in 2026 with Michele Bustamante
Brown liquor pick of the week: Lark Symphony No. 1

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/963

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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WW 963: I've Got an Apple Guy - Windows 11's Best Updates of 2025!

Windows Weekly (Audio)

WW 963: I've Got an Apple Guy - Windows 11's Best Updates of 2025!