Windows 11 22H2 has been finalized
and Microsoft has officially declared Build 22621 as the RTM (release
to manufacturers). This is the first big update to the operating system since
its rollout in October 2021, but it doesn’t really come with tons of new
features or significant improvements.
The commercial name of Windows 11
version 22H2 isn’t known yet, but it’s now rolling out to testers in the
Release Preview Channel. Like any big Windows Update, Microsoft is also testing
a new version of Microsoft’s graphic driver architecture and it’s apparently
called WDDM 3.1.
The new WDDM 3.1 compatible
drivers fix several bugs, include support for a handful of new titles, and
brings support for Windows 11 22H2. Driver support is apparently vital for
anyone willing to test the new operating system and it also gives companies
feedback to iron out any performance issues.
As we reported recently, Nvidia
has already released WDDM 3.1 and Windows 11 22H2 ready drivers for enterprise
customers. And now the company is working on consumer-centric GeForce drivers
with dedicated support for 22H2. Additionally, Nvidia’s leaked drivers also
include support for WDDM 3.1.
It is worth noting that these new
driver has leaked online and they’re not an official release. At the moment,
graphics cards made for consumers officially don’t have proper support for Sun
Valley 2, but since drivers have leaked online, we can expect Nvidia to roll
out compatible gaming drivers in a few weeks.
In a previous document, Microsoft
confirmed that’s actively accepting submissions for drivers until at least
September 5. This means companies have enough time to prepare their drivers for
the next version of Windows 11.
AMD’s WDDM 3.1 ready
drivers
In Windows 11 preview builds, AMD’s driver 31.0.12000.20010 driver with
WDDM 3.1 support is now rolling out. The update apparently improves the
performance of AMD GPUs in OpenGL apps, according to reports from testers.
Changelog for Nvidia or AMD driver isn’t available currently.
In addition to WDDM 3.1, the new Windows 11 version includes a number of
changes, including a new Task Manager, features for Windows feature like the
taskbar and Start Menu, general improvements, faster animations, improvements
to the context menu, a new Media Player by default, and much more.
