UI changes: Widgets, Start, and File Explorer

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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