Microsoft will start issuing the Windows 10 Creators Update to eligible systems on April 11, the company announced today.
“The Creators Update is designed to spark and unleash creativity, bringing 3D and mixed reality to everyone and enabling every gamer to be a broadcaster,” blogged Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft. “Beyond creativity, it brings new features to Microsoft Edge, additional security capabilities and privacy tools, and so much more.”
In terms of 3D content creation, the operating system software update includes a new Paint 3D app. It offers users tools that enable users to create 3D models from scratch or turn 2D images into three-dimensional objects. With the companion Remix3D.com online library, users can download 3D objects and scenes, or share their own.
The Windows 10 Creators Update is also intended to help establish an ecosystem of mixed reality hardware and applications. Mixed reality is Microsoft’s take on the growing virtual- and augmented-reality trend.
Best exemplified by the company’s HoloLens headset, a standalone Windows-powered device that costs $3,000, mixed reality experiences blend virtual and 3D content with a user’s real-world surroundings. In addition to the software components to enable mixed reality on standard PCs, Microsoft and its hardware partners are working on much more affordable headsets. Later this year, Dell, HP, Acer and Asus are expected to start shipping compatible headsets with prices starting at $299.
To help users keep a tighter lid on their data, Microsoft has added a service called Windows Defender Security Center. It collects various Windows security components and settings, including antivirus and firewall, into a single dashboard.
For added security, Windows Hello, a secure login feature in Windows 10, now pairs with iPhone, Android and Windows smartphones. If users step away from their PCs or tablets with their phones in tow, Windows will automatically lock their devices.
Gamers will be able to squeeze more performance with the Windows 10 Game Mode. Once enabled, it dedicates more system resources to games, providing a more consistent experience, Mehdi claimed. Using the Beam streaming service, which Microsoft acquired last year, the update will also enable users to broadcast their gameplay sessions with ‘sub-second latency’ and interact with the service’s community without additional hardware or software.
On the Surface Hub, Microsoft’s digital whiteboard and conference room collaboration hardware offering, the Windows 10 Creators Update will boost the productivity of users and the IT personnel tasked with maintaining the system.
“The updates include an improved new start screen that allows you to sign on with your credentials and access your Office 365 apps and OneDrive materials as well as new manageability tools to simplify large-scale deployments,” Mehdi said. “Apps like Skype for Business are being improved to help you connect better and the Whiteboard app will now easily enable real-time collaboration between Surface Hubs.”