Frankly, Windows 11 is getting out of hand with its advertising push – remember the recent full-screen pop-up to persuade users to install Edge or other Microsoft services? Then another ad was placed in the Start menu, and now Microsoft has finally made me lose my temper, with a new Game Pass ad in the Settings app.
This is likely to arrive in the July update for Windows 11, or at least it almost certainly will. It was present in the latest preliminary update that Microsoft just released for the operating system (and was quickly stopped due to a bug, But that is another story). It's also worth noting that the ad was present in previous test builds of Windows 11.
You can call it a “recommendation” if you're feeling nice, but the veiled Game Pass announcement appears for Windows 11 Home and Pro users who are actively playing games on their machines, as Windows Central reports.
Microsoft's attempt to further monetize the OS appears to be going down the path of smaller, less flashy 'recommendations' or suggestions like this, which are happening more frequently, and my concern is that they will become even more frequent and annoying.
Taking it too far…
In my opinion, things have already gone too far. The attempt to blur the line between a recommendation and an advertisement makes the whole thing feel rather disingenuous. Yes, one could argue that Microsoft (for the moment) is only recommending its own products that might make the lives of Windows 11 users easier or more interesting, but who's to say that will always be the case? Once some sort of broad acceptance has been established among the Windows user base, the fear is that Microsoft could overstep the boundaries in the future.
I’m thinking about third-party app ads, which have already crept into some corners of Windows 11: will they inevitably become more prevalent? And could Microsoft’s use of them even trigger similar moves by its rivals? Could I turn on my Chromebook in a few months (well, OK, years) and be bombarded with ads for things I don’t want or care about?
Another thing that bothers me is that it's not like these ads are going to appear in some dark corner of Windows 11. Think about how often you open the Settings app and consider how aggressive this level of advertising really is in the grand scheme of things. things. Will you have to deal with a full-screen ad when you finally try to open File Explorer?
The problem is that you’re not renting your PC — it’s yours, or perhaps it’s a work device, but whatever the case, you, your company, or your boss have already paid for Windows. Given that, implementing inescapable ads diminishes your ownership experience, kind of like when you have to endure ads on YouTube to watch free content. Except Windows 11 isn’t free, and if I have to navigate a maze of ads to change my wallpaper or check for an update, I’m not going to like it.
Microsoft had better watch its progress here and keep these types of announcements to a minimum if it doesn't want to turn the Windows 11 user base against it, though I have my doubts the company will do so.
