Faster Windows: First test with native apps is promising

Microsoft is working to permanently improve the speed of Windows 11. An important component is the switch to native applications and the optimization of the WinUI 3 framework. Initial test results show a significant jump in performance.

Native apps for Windows 11

Microsoft is currently working on several fronts to make Windows 11 faster. In addition to a low latency profile, which has met with some criticism from users, the company is currently converting many system areas to the native WinUI 3 framework as part of the internal K2 project. The goal is to further reduce latency in operation thanks to native apps and to shorten the loading times of basic programs. In order to get to the root of the problem of system sluggishness, the developers are not only switching from web to native applications, but are also improving the underlying platform itself. WinUI 3 serves as the graphical interface. The framework replaces older architectures and is intended to give the operating system a leap in performance in the future through improvements in the code.

First benchmarks for the Explorer

How Microsoft on GitHub reports, the team is currently concentrating on the startup process of programs. The primary tools for measuring success are File Explorer and Notepad. According to Redmond, the results so far have been positive and show a greatly reduced consumption of resources. This is important because Explorer is one of the most frequently used tools. The specific improvements at the start of the program include several technical aspects:

• 41 percent fewer memory allocations
• 63 percent fewer temporary assignments
• 45 percent fewer function calls
• 25 percent less time spent on code

How exactly these results affect specific start times of apps is still unclear. However, the adjustments will soon be incorporated into the main development branch. The WinAppSDK, a collection of tools for app development, will also receive the optimizations. Until now, many programmers used older libraries that took up more RAM. By switching to the more modern basis, Microsoft expects a smoother experience for users, even on computers with weaker hardware.

New functions bring risks

However, the profound code changes to the framework pose a certain risk for existing software. Some optimizations change the default controls. This can lead to bugs in third-party apps if developers don’t customize the code. You must therefore first activate the new functions manually. In future releases, Microsoft plans to make the new behavior the default.