XDA Basics: Can I play my games on Windows 11? Here’s what you need to know

Windows 11 is right around the corner, and with this week’s leak, we’re starting to glean many more details about the new OS. Soon enough, Windows 11 will start showing up on laptops all over so there are some important questions. One thing you may have wondered about is whether you’ll be able to play your existing games. After all, you don’t want your gaming laptop to go to waste by installing something that breaks your games. Luckily, we have good news — most of the games you’re playing should work on Windows 11. At least, if you’re running a relatively recent version of Windows.

What changes with Windows 11?

Windows 11 comes with a large chunk of visual changes compared to Windows 10. Thanks to a leaked build of Windows 10, we already have a good look at what it will look like, and it takes a lot of inspiration from Windows 10X. This was going to be a version of Windows that was stripped down and featured many new design elements. Windows 11 however is mostly still the Windows you know, just with a different look.

In fact, that’s the key point here. Windows 11 is still essentially Windows 10. These design changes have long been rumored under the codename Sun Valley, and they were expected to be part of Windows 10. You can easily upgrade a Windows 10 computer to Windows 11, just like any other feature update for the OS. You don’t need to reinstall or set anything up again.

So will all my games work?

This will depend on where you’re coming from and what games you have. Windows 11 is pretty much just Windows 10, so if you’re running that version and your games work, they’ll continue working. Steam, the Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, and any other platforms you may be using are just as compatible as they are on Windows 10.

However, just like Windows 10, this new version will offer upgrade paths all the way back to Windows 7. If you’re still using that old version and playing old legacy titles, you may run into some issues – the same ones you’d have with Windows 10. Some games may have required technologies that are no longer supported, for example.

Additionally, Windows itself used to include a set of classic card and board games that no longer come with Windows. If those are important to you, you may be able to find modern counterparts on the Microsoft Store. Those original Windows 7 games have also been backed up online if you’d like to install them on Windows 11.

So, in short, yes, all of your games will continue to work in Windows 11 just as they did in Windows 10. That includes all of the digital platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store. If you’re using an older version of Windows and you play older games, you may have some trouble, but most titles should still work.

We’re still waiting to learn more about Windows 11 at an event on June 24th, so stay tuned as we bring you all of the information from there.

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