Microsoft has poured cold water on any hopes of lower hardware requirements for Windows 11. With Windows 10 end of support approaching in October 2025, the software giant now says that its Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 is “non-negotiable.”

More than 800 million Windows 10 users and another 50 million on even older, already obsolete versions of Windows. Of the 800 million Windows 10 users, more than 400 million likely don’t meet the TPM 2.0 threshold.

Microsoft updates all docs against Windows 10 and won't budge from the pre-decided retirement date for the decade old operating system.

Microsoft warns users of unsupported hardware using Windows 11 with a disclaimer Windows 11 will add a watermark if system requirements aren't met Continuing to use Windows 11 on incompatible hardware may void support and warranty.

With Windows 10's end-of-support deadline approaching in October 2025, these users face a dilemma: either update to Windows 11 with potential compatibility issues or continue using Windows 10 and risk losing security updates.