Windows 10X delay just got even worse

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Windows 10X is only coming to single-screen devices in 2021 as dual-screen compatibility issues cause delays

Windows 10X is thew OS behind the delayed Surface Neo.
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft's roadmap to Windows 10X's dual-screen future and the Surface Neo looks very bumpy. A new report not only says we shouldn't expect the new operating system this year, but that we'll be shy a screen when it finally launches -- and that's just the start of the upcoming frustrations.

According to ZDNet, which claims to have heard "Microsoft's latest plan" for Windows 10X, it will debut on single-screen devices in Spring 2021. Yes, not only will Windows 10X miss its original Fall 2020 release window, but it's going to only be on more-traditional devices as well. 

We'd already heard that Windows 10X was getting pushed to 2021, but this slow rollout of the full version is underwhelming at best. Apparently, Microsoft is more focused on Teams, its group collaboration service. The Surface Neo was also supposedly pushed to 2021, but this news makes us think we're going to be waiting longer.

That's because of the note in the ZDNet report that claimed Spring 2022 is the window for the fuller Windows 10X release, on "additional single-screen and dual-screen devices," (which sounds like the Neo).

Let's go back to the first-run Windows 10X devices, though, because they won't just be limited by their number of screens. These devices are going to be "designed primarily for businesses (especially first-line workers) and education," which would make them more like HoloLens, in that the general public will need to wait to get their hands on Microsoft's semi-futuristic tech. 

Oh, and those early Windows 10X devices have another big flaw: the lack of Win32 apps. This could be a huge issue for those in the aforementioned businesses, as they often run legacy software. 

Without Win32 support, 32-bit legacy software won't run on Windows 10X devices. That's a problem Microsoft has already encountered with the Surface Pro X, and it will not want to have such compatibility issues on its hands when it comes to consumer-grade Windows 10X devices. 

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.