Windows 10 version 2004 will be available for 64-bit chips

May 14, 2020 04:14 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is officially retiring support for 32-bit processors with the release of Windows 10 version 2004, thus setting the requirement to run the latest version of the operating system to 64-bit.

More specifically, the company explains that unless a 64-bit processor is used, OEMs would no longer be provided with feature updates for Windows 10.

Needless to say, this only affects the new systems that are being sold from this point going forward, as the existing 32-bit computers that are running Windows 10 would still get the latest features. It’s not known for how long though, so at some point in the future, the company could very well drop support for Windows 10 32-bit entirely.

64-bit, the recommended way to go

However, the company recommends both OEMs and customers to go for 64-bit systems in order to benefit from the best Windows 10 experience.

“Beginning with Windows 10, version 2004, all new Windows 10 systems will be required to use 64-bit builds and Microsoft will no longer release 32-bit builds for OEM distribution. This does not impact 32-bit customer systems that are manufactured with earlier versions of Windows 10; Microsoft remains committed to providing feature and security updates on these devices, including continued 32-bit media availability in non-OEM channels to support various upgrade installation scenarios,” Microsoft says.

Other requirements for the upcoming Windows 10 desktop versions include at least 2 GB of RAM for 64-bit computers and 1 GB RAM for 32-bit systems. At least 32 GB of storage is required for both architectures beginning with Windows 10 version 1903 (the previous Windows 10 versions needed just 16 GB storage).

Windows 10 version 2004 is projected to launch later this month, and the final build is already available for users in the Release Preview ring of the Windows Insider program. The first production devices are expected to get update in the last week of the month.

Via Neowin