Windows 11’s 25H2 enablement package is now rolling out and — in the same week — Microsoft reshaped Game Pass into a markedly pricier, repositioned subscription service, touching off a fresh round of debate about value, platform strategy, and the consumer cost of cloud-first gaming. The operating system update landed as a lightweight enablement switch for features already staged across the servicing branch, while Game Pass was recast with renamed tiers and a 50% bump to the top tier’s monthly price, prompting immediate churn and heated discussion across communities.
Windows and Xbox have been moving in parallel directions for years: incremental servicing for Windows releases, and recurring-revenue optimization for Xbox subscriptions. What changed this week is timing and focus. Microsoft shipped the Windows 11 version 25H2 enablement package — a small update that flips on features already delivered via the 24H2 servicing stream — while simultaneously announcing an aggressive rework of Xbox Game Pass plans that bundles partner services, upgrades cloud tiers, and raises the cost of the all‑access Ultimate plan. Both moves reflect a common theme: product maturation and the shift from acquisition-first tactics toward revenue optimization.
This article summarizes the facts, verifies the most important technical claims, and analyzes the practical implications for Windows users, gamers, and IT pros. Key claims are cross-checked against Microsoft’s public notes and independent reporting; where numbers or details diverge between outlets, those differences are flagged.
Why this matters:
Two items of practical interest:
Practical steps if you need media on Arm:
Potential implications:
Two independent verifications:
A persistent consumer complaint remains unresolved: Microsoft did not introduce a true family plan that would allow multiple household members to play concurrently under a single subscription. The current mechanism — home console sharing plus account tricks — is brittle, especially for multi‑device families who want simultaneous play. Community reporting and analyst commentary highlight this as the core missing feature in Microsoft’s overhaul.
For users and admins, the immediate takeaway is pragmatic: plan upgrades carefully, verify deployment-specific behavior (especially for Arm and multi-monitor setups), and reassess subscription choices based on actual usage rather than brand inertia. For the industry, the week emphasized a persistent truth: platform economics and product value must align or the consumer reaction will be loud, fast, and economically consequential.
End of report.
Source: Neowin Microsoft Weekly: Windows 11 25H2 is out and Game Pass is more expensive
Windows and Xbox have been moving in parallel directions for years: incremental servicing for Windows releases, and recurring-revenue optimization for Xbox subscriptions. What changed this week is timing and focus. Microsoft shipped the Windows 11 version 25H2 enablement package — a small update that flips on features already delivered via the 24H2 servicing stream — while simultaneously announcing an aggressive rework of Xbox Game Pass plans that bundles partner services, upgrades cloud tiers, and raises the cost of the all‑access Ultimate plan. Both moves reflect a common theme: product maturation and the shift from acquisition-first tactics toward revenue optimization.This article summarizes the facts, verifies the most important technical claims, and analyzes the practical implications for Windows users, gamers, and IT pros. Key claims are cross-checked against Microsoft’s public notes and independent reporting; where numbers or details diverge between outlets, those differences are flagged.
Windows 11: 25H2 and the servicing model
What shipped — enablement, not a rebase
Microsoft released Windows 11 version 25H2 as an enablement package that largely activates functionality already present in machines kept current on 24H2. The enablement approach reduces upgrade size and downtime by turning features on rather than shipping a full image replacement. The public rollout began at the end of September and is staged by telemetry and compatibility checks; admins and enthusiasts will see it first if they opted into earlier updates.Why this matters:
- Smaller downloads for devices already patched on 24H2.
- Faster in-place upgrades (usually a single restart).
- Enterprises can manage activation with less revalidation than a full-feature replacement.
KB5065789: the post‑release non‑security package you’ll want
Microsoft published KB5065789 as the September non-security update that consolidates fixes and small features across 24H2 and 25H2. Importantly for desktop users, this update includes quality-of-life fixes for multi-monitor setups and restores a few interface elements that power users missed. Microsoft’s update history lists KB5065789 (OS builds 26200.6725 and 26100.6725) and notes the fixes included in that preview release.Two items of practical interest:
- Secondary-display Notification Center parity: KB5065789 restores the ability to open the Notification Center/calendar from a secondary display, solving an annoyance for multi‑monitor users who previously had to move focus back to the primary display. Community testing and preview coverage confirmed this behavior ahead of the public package.
- Optional seconds clock in Notification Center: The update adds an opt‑in toggle to show a larger clock with seconds in the Notification Center flyout — helpful for broadcasting, testing, or any workflow needing second-level granularity. This feature is disabled by default and must be enabled in Settings.
Administrator Protection delay and other enterprise changes
Microsoft announced that one enterprise‑focused feature — Administrator Protection — was delayed after being planned for the release. That can affect how admins plan deployments and policy rollouts, so IT teams should consult the Windows Release Health dashboard before enabling 25H2 broadly. At the same time, Microsoft removed certain legacy tooling from shipping images (for example, PowerShell 2.0 and WMIC), which further streamlines images but requires admins to verify backwards-compatibility for older scripts and tooling.Media Creation Tool (MCT) and Arm64 hosts — verified problem and mitigations
Microsoft’s release notes explicitly call out a known issue: the updated Media Creation Tool (MCT) may not run correctly on Arm64 hosts. The symptom — a generic failure message and inability to create installation media from Arm devices — is documented in Microsoft’s update history and reproduced in community threads and support forums. Microsoft advises using an x64 host to create media or downloading the Arm64 ISO directly as a workaround. This is a niche but real issue for users who attempt to create Arm installation media from Arm Windows hosts.Practical steps if you need media on Arm:
- Use an x64 PC to run the MCT and create USB media for Arm devices.
- Or download the Arm64 ISO from Microsoft and use a third-party imaging tool to write the USB.
- If you must run MCT on-device, monitor Microsoft’s release-health notes for a fix.
Windows Insider program: what’s in preview
Microsoft’s Insider channels showed incremental improvements across Dev and Beta channels earlier in the cycle. Recent Dev/Beta builds introduced quality-of-life features such as an integrated network speed test from the tray, improvements to the Get Started app, and enhancements to Windows Search. Release Preview remained quiet the week of the enablement release as Microsoft shifted focus to the public rollout. Users who prefer early access should expect small-footprint feature introductions rather than dramatic UI changes.Microsoft 365: Copilot shifts and a new Premium bundle
Microsoft 365 Premium and Copilot Agent Mode
Microsoft announced a new Microsoft 365 Premium tier that bundles Copilot Pro with Office apps for families, increasing AI usage limits for subscribers and introducing Copilot Agent Mode for automating tasks in Word and Excel. Microsoft has been steadily moving Copilot from an experimental feature toward a core, billed capability inside Microsoft 365, and the new packaging reflects that evolution. Early product notes show Copilot integration is deepening across apps with agentic features and automation options, and Microsoft clarified that household sharing for Copilot is restricted under Family plans (owner-only in some cases), while higher usage requires Copilot Pro.Companion Apps force installs — what to watch for
A second change worth noting: Microsoft will begin force-installing Microsoft 365 Companion Apps on Windows 11 PCs that already have Microsoft 365 desktop apps. This is likely to increase the visibility of Microsoft’s AI features on consumer devices but may also drive friction for users and admins who manage allowed apps lists or have strict software inventories. Expect pushback from users who prefer minimal preinstalled apps, and plan application allowlist updates accordingly.Browsers and web: Opera’s Neon, Edge updates, and the agentic race
Opera Neon — a paid, agentic browser
Opera launched Opera Neon, an agentic AI browser designed to act on behalf of users using a feature called Neon Do and workspace-driven “Tasks” and “Cards.” Unlike many free AI browser experiments, Opera positioned Neon as a premium product with early access priced around $19.99/month. Early materials emphasize local, privacy-aware execution of actions within browser sessions, plus a “founders” rollout for initial testers. This move marks a clear commercial stance: agentic browsing features will be a monetized, premium offering for power users.Potential implications:
- A premium agentic browser shifts the market economics for productivity-focused AI browsing.
- Privacy-focused execution inside the browser (as Opera claims) may appeal where cloud-first agents raise compliance concerns.
- The subscription model signals vendors believe a subset of users will pay for advanced automation rather than rely on free extensions.
Edge 141 and other browser updates
Microsoft shipped Edge 141 to the Stable channel with updates to browsing history, password management, and minor UX changes. Browser updates remain a steady cadence — not headline-grabbing, but important for enterprise compatibility and web developers. Expect incremental improvements to Teams and Edge integration in the coming months as Microsoft aligns desktop and cloud experiences.Gaming: Game Pass overhaul, price changes, and community reaction
The facts — price, tiers, and included perks
Microsoft restructured Xbox Game Pass into three named tiers — Essential, Premium, and Ultimate — and materially changed which features live in each tier. The headline move: Game Pass Ultimate rose from $19.99 to $29.99/month in the U.S., a 50% increase, while PC Game Pass moved up (reports show new pricing near $16.49/month). Ultimate now incorporates partner bundles (notably Fortnite Crew and a curated Ubisoft+ Classics library), improved cloud streaming capabilities (Ultimate up to 1440p in supported regions), and a stated commitment of 75+ day‑one releases per year. Microsoft’s official announcement lays out the new plan names and what each tier contains; major outlets independently verified the price and the shift in benefit allocation.Two independent verifications:
- Microsoft's own Xbox announcement confirms the new prices and tier structure.
- Reuters and The Verge reported the same headline price and described the new partner inclusions and cloud streaming enhancements.
The immediate reaction — cancellations, retailer arbitrage, and family pain points
The community response was swift and visceral. Many long-term subscribers reacted to the price increase by downgrading or cancelling, and vendors like GameStop publicly said they would continue selling subscriptions at legacy prices in some channels — a sign that retailers will attempt to arbitrage the mismatch between Microsoft's new direct pricing and pre-existing physical/digital card inventory. That said, the legal and operational feasibility of retailers permanently maintaining old prices is uncertain; Microsoft could adjust redemption rules or partner terms.A persistent consumer complaint remains unresolved: Microsoft did not introduce a true family plan that would allow multiple household members to play concurrently under a single subscription. The current mechanism — home console sharing plus account tricks — is brittle, especially for multi‑device families who want simultaneous play. Community reporting and analyst commentary highlight this as the core missing feature in Microsoft’s overhaul.
Value and risk analysis (short- to medium-term)
- For heavy cloud or cross-platform players who value Fortnite Crew, high‑quality cloud streaming, and a large day‑one cadence, Ultimate’s new price may track perceived value.
- For PC‑only players, or users who don’t use the bundled partner services, the incremental cost of Ultimate is hard to justify; PC Game Pass remains the cheaper alternative.
- Microsoft’s bet: increase average revenue per user (ARPU) by concentrating premium benefits into one paid tier. The risk: sustained churn among price-sensitive subscribers and long-term damage to goodwill built by years of comparatively stable Game Pass pricing. Early churn metrics and retention data will be the clearest measure of success or failure.
Unverified/variable claims — numbers to watch
Some outlets and posts reported slightly different figures for immediate content additions (e.g., the number of immediate new titles or how many of the “50 new games” are Ubisoft titles). These counts changed across press releases and reporting windows; treat any exact catalog numbers as subject to confirmation in Microsoft’s inventory pages and Xbox’s plan-pickers. When possible, check the current Game Pass library in the Xbox app or Microsoft’s plan pages for authoritative inventory counts.Other notable updates: drivers, firmware, and reviews
- Nvidia’s GeForce NOW added new titles to its streaming catalog, including Battlefield 6 and Little Nightmares III, expanding cloud options for PC players who prefer subscription-free ownership. Keep an eye on regional availability and platform licensing.
- Edge and Firefox received small yet important fixes in recent updates: Edge 141 for Stable shipped recently, and Firefox patched extension-related and Google-site performance issues across minor point releases. These routine updates matter for web compatibility and enterprise deployments.
- Hardware reviews in the week covered a range of products: headset and mobile device reviews noted in our community recaps (e.g., bone conduction headphones with onboard storage and premium Android flagships), a reminder that peripherals and handhelds remain central to how users experience Windows and Game Pass.
Practical guidance: what to do this week
- For Windows users planning to upgrade to 25H2:
- Check the Windows Release Health dashboard and review KB5065789’s known issues before flipping the enablement switch.
- If you rely on MCT from an Arm device, use a fallback method (x64 host or direct ISO). Microsoft has documented this as a known limitation.
- For IT administrators:
- Validate legacy-script dependencies before removing WMIC/Powershell 2.0 from imaging workflows.
- Test multi-monitor behavior and Notification Center changes on representative hardware; KB5065789 restores secondary display parity but also introduces behavior changes that may affect workflows.
- For gamers considering Game Pass:
- Reassess which plan matches your usage. If you rarely use cloud or partner bundles, PC Game Pass or Premium may be the better value.
- If you own unused gift/subscription codes bought at older prices, redemption timing and retailer stock may create saving opportunities — but always verify terms and regional pricing.
- For privacy-conscious users evaluating Opera Neon:
- Understand the subscription model and review the privacy claims closely; Opera emphasizes local execution for some Neon features, but agentic automation implies new threat surfaces and increased attack surface complexity for browser automation.
Strengths and risks — critical analysis
Strengths
- Microsoft’s enablement-package model for Windows (25H2) reduces upgrade friction and aligns well with enterprise servicing models; smaller, targeted activations mean less downtime and lower network impact for large fleets.
- Consolidating premium Game Pass benefits into a single paid tier simplifies product messaging and allows Microsoft to monetize partner relationships — a defensible strategic tilt toward ARPU.
- The agentic browser push (Opera Neon and others) shows innovation in the browser space and signals new productivity models that could materially change how people use the web.
Risks
- Price sensitivity and perceived value: increasing Ultimate to $29.99 risks churn and goodwill loss among long-term subscribers, especially families and price‑conscious players who don’t value the bundled partner services. Early cancellation spikes and social reaction already point to friction.
- MCT Arm64 limitation: while niche, the broken MCT path for Arm64 hosts complicates recovery and image creation for administrators and enthusiasts using Arm hardware, and the short-term workaround is inconvenient.
- Agentic browsers as paid products: charging for agentic browsing risks fragmenting the web experience and creating tiered access to powerful automation — and introduces new privacy and security considerations when the browser can perform actions on behalf of users. Security teams should plan for new threat models where browser agenting interacts with authenticated sessions.
What to watch next
- Cancellation and churn metrics for Game Pass in the coming 30–90 days; Microsoft’s willingness to modify pricing or promotions will be visible here.
- The cadence and stability of promised “75+ day‑one releases” for Ultimate: maintaining that pace without quality erosion is crucial to justifying the price increase.
- Microsoft’s remediation of the Arm64 MCT issue and any subsequent servicing notes for 25H2.
- Wider adoption and competition in the agentic-browser market: whether Opera Neon’s subscription model sticks or if free alternatives (or browser incumbents like Chrome/Edge) respond with competing features.
Conclusion
This week proved to be a contained but sharp inflection point for both Windows and Xbox strategy. Windows 11 25H2 followed the company’s servicing-centered roadmap: a quiet, efficient enablement package with meaningful fixes for common pain points like multi-monitor Notification Center parity. At the same time, Microsoft’s Game Pass overhaul answers a different question — how to monetize a matured subscription product — and the answer is a bold tilt toward premiumization that will produce winners and losers among customers.For users and admins, the immediate takeaway is pragmatic: plan upgrades carefully, verify deployment-specific behavior (especially for Arm and multi-monitor setups), and reassess subscription choices based on actual usage rather than brand inertia. For the industry, the week emphasized a persistent truth: platform economics and product value must align or the consumer reaction will be loud, fast, and economically consequential.
End of report.
Source: Neowin Microsoft Weekly: Windows 11 25H2 is out and Game Pass is more expensive