By Chris Hoffman
Publication Date: 2026-10-29 04:08:00
The Windows key opens the Start menu; that’s the way it’s always been. But with news that Microsoft is combining the Start menu with the new (and currently separate) search box experience, it’s unclear what that key will do going forward.
I’m really not sure what a merged experience will look like, because the Start menu and the new search box clash in both design and function. I like the search box better, so I hope the company eventually makes the Windows key open that experience directly, but I know that other people will almost certainly prefer the traditional Start menu and dislike having to relearn its function
Meanwhile, a recent report alleges that the upcoming Project Helix Xbox console won’t run Windows 11 after the Xbox team bested the Windows team in an internal turf war. Microsoft is also improving Windows 11’s little-known internet speed test tool.
Read on for a look at what’s in store for your Windows key, reports about the upcoming Xbox…
