Earlier this week, Microsoft started rolling out Windows 11 update to eligible users. The new update comes with an UI overhaul as well as new features and general improvements. While the update is currently offered to a select group of users, many have started reporting issues with the new operating system.
According to several users on Reddit (via xrtoday), a critical issue is preventing users from running Windows Mixed Reality on Windows 11. Multiple users claim that after upgrading to Windows 11, they are unable to use Windows Mixed Reality devices.
According to others, Mixed Reality fails to work if you clean install Windows 11 or buy a device that comes with Windows 11 out-of-the-box. While, Microsoft is yet to acknowledge the issue, users found that one needs to set up Windows Mixed Reality on Windows 10 and then update to Windows 11 in order to make it work. So, in essence if you are planning to use Windows Mixed Reality devices after doing a clean install then you are out of luck.
Rolling back to official windows 10 21H1 and did a clean install, without any drivers or update, plug in the g2, no issues! I am doing a windows 11 (iso) upgrade on the existing virgin (w/ MR confirmed working) win 10 and see what happen
EDIT: clean win 10->mix reality-> win11 upgrade using iso. OK, g2 continue to work afterwards.
Clean win11->mix reality->FAIL!
Even if you are able to make Windows Mixed Reality work, there is no guarantee that you will get the ideal experience. We have seen users complain about performance issues on Windows 11, even with adequate hardware.
I just conducted the same experiment with windows 11(even did a fresh install of W10 & then W11) and nothing but problems. Took forever to get it working and then the performance was horrible (5800X & a 3080). Went back to W10 & it works perfectly. It’s a shame because I do like the W11 interface.
In the mantra of ship first, fix later, we do expect Microsoft to fix this issue soon. In the meantime, Windows Mixed Reality users should stick to Windows 10. Once you are ready, you can follow our guide on how to download and upgrade to Windows 11. For those who unfortunately upgraded to Windows 11 and now cannot use Windows Mixed Reality devices, we do have a guide on how to rollback to Windows 10.
Still on the fence about Windows 11? Check out our review and decide if Windows 11 suits your workflow.