According to reports from Windows Central , Microsoft's internal data shows that there are currently more than 400 million monthly active devices running Windows 11 , and it is growing steadily, and is expected to reach 500 million devices by early 2024.
Judging from this data, the penetration rate of Windows 11 is obviously slower than that of the previous generation Windows 10. Windows 11 was released in October 2021, which means it took about two years to reach this milestone, which is much slower than Windows 10, which took more than a year to reach the same level .
Windows Central says the difference in adoption can be attributed to the two operating systems' different release strategies. Windows 10 was originally launched as a limited-time free upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8, and Microsoft has been urging users to upgrade as soon as possible before the free upgrade period ends.
In comparison, Windows 11 had a quieter launch and, due to TPM requirements, supported a smaller number of PCs and therefore had lower adoption rates.
Although Windows 11's adoption rate has not reached the milestone as quickly as Windows 10's, it has exceeded Microsoft's own expectations for Windows 11's adoption rate.
According to traffic monitoring agency StatCounter, Windows 10 still firmly controls the desktop Windows market with a market share of 71.62%. Meanwhile, Windows 11 accounts for 23.64% of all Windows desktop installations. Windows 7's market share dropped to 3.33%, while Windows XP's market share was only 0.34%.
Momentum for Windows 11 is strong, according to Microsoft's internal metrics. Despite initial controversy and compatibility issues, Microsoft has made Windows 11 attractive to both new and existing devices with frequent updates and preview options.