Microsoft is reportedly planning a massive visual overhaul of Windows in a bid to show users that Windows is back and better than before.
According to a job listing recently posted by the company, Microsoft has a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows” planned for a holiday 2021 debut. To carry it out, Microsoft has been looking to fill a software engineering role in the Windows Core User Experiences team.
“On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers,” the company said in the listing.
The company has since pulled references to its “visual rejuvenation,” but it was spotted by several sources over the weekend. Windows Central reported that Microsoft is planning to modernize the Start menu, File Explorer, and built-in apps in Windows 10. Changes to the sliders, buttons, and controls found throughout Windows are also reportedly on the horizon.
Tablet users are also expected to see a few changes to the operating system, namely in the area of how Microsoft’s Surface line switches between mouse/trackpad usage and touch-based interactions.
Sources told Windows Central that the user interface rejuvenation project is internally codenamed "Sun Valley.”. The changes rumored to be in the works are expected to debut later this year as part of the Windows 10 "Cobalt" release.