Microsoft released the first version of Windows 10 in July 2015, with the OS receiving largely positive feedback from the PC community as most users preferred its desktop-like interface to the Metro UI of Windows 8. Fast-forward to October 2021, and Microsoft launched Windows 11 for general users. Soon, the tech giant clarified that Windows 10 won’t receive new security updates after October 25, 2025.

While it’s true that most users will have to transition to Windows 11 after two years, here are some reasons why Windows 10 lovers should continue to use the OS in 2023.

1 Windows 10 is easier to install on outdated hardware

One of the best aspects of Windows 10 is that the OS has really low hardware requirements. This allows it to achieve universal compatibility with most PCs released over the last fifteen years. Let’s say you have an Intel Pentium 4, a processor that was released almost 11 years before the launch of Windows 10. And let’s assume that, for some reason, you want to install Windows 10 on a machine powered by this processor. If you’re already running Windows 7 on the antique PC, all you have to do is run the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool after downloading it from Microsoft's website and agree to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 when prompted.

On the other hand, Windows 11 received a lot of flak for its high CPU requirement even before its release. According to Microsoft, your PC needs a multicore processor that supports Trusted Platform Module 2.0, a hardware number generator used by Windows to authenticate your PC components via unique cryptographic keys. Plus, all Intel Core CPUs released before the 8th-gen processors are unsupported for the OS. As for the mainstream AMD CPUs, you'll need at least a Ryzen 2000 processor to qualify for the Windows 11 upgrade.

It's true that you can install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, but the fact that you’ll have to go through tons of hoops is rather annoying. Pair it with the fact that Windows 11 can’t run on 32-bit systems, and you may not have any choice but to stay on the older operating system if you don't have a 64-bit processor.

2 Insignificant FPS gains on Windows 11

Before Microsoft launched Windows 11 in 2021, the company claimed the OS would support Auto HDR, a feature that uses machine learning to add HDR to games that primarily feature SDR display output. Back then, Auto HDR was meant to remain exclusive to Windows 11, though Microsoft ended up bringing it over to Windows 10. The same holds true for Direct Storage, which reduces the loading time for games by transferring asset decompression workloads from the processor to the graphics card.

Even though the Windows 11 scheduler is better than the one used by Windows 10, the in-game performance and frame rates are largely the same on both OS. Since most of the previously Windows 11-exclusive gaming features are already available on Windows 10, there's no reason to upgrade to the newer OS in 2023 if you're only interested in gaming.

3 Windows 10 has a significantly better context menu

Although Windows 11 brought plenty of changes to the overall design, many of these visual additions weren’t received well by the PC community. I won’t comment on any of Microsoft’s design choices as whether you like the new interface depends on your aesthetic sense. But it's an undisputed fact that the Windows 10 context menu is definitely better than what you get in 11.

By that, I’m referring to the classic context menu that shows tons of options anytime you right-click anywhere on the desktop in Windows 10. Depending on the apps installed on your system, you can access Visual Studio, Git Bash, and even the control panel for your display driver from this menu. Contrast that with the lackluster and minimalist context menu in Windows 11, and it’s hard not to like the older iteration of the menu on Windows 10.

Thankfully, the silver lining here is that you can technically bring back the older right-click context menu on Windows 11, though you’ll have to follow a rather complex process if you attempt to do so.

4 Windows 10 has fewer advertisements

If you hate intrusive ads, you’re not going to like the "badges" that Microsoft recently added to the Start menu in Windows 11. The ads issue was already bad enough as it is in Windows 10 as the Microsoft Store is infamous for constantly sending video game suggestions to the Notification Bar. But Microsoft’s latest OS kicks the ads up a notch by frequently reminding you to purchase the Office 365 suite, sign up for OneDrive, and so on.

Are there any benefits to upgrading to Windows 11 in 2023?

Of course, Windows 11 brings a couple of new features that could entice you to ditch its predecessor. For one, the OS natively supports Android apps, so you don’t need to dabble in virtual machines or emulators if you want to run your favorite APK files on your PC. You'd also want to switch to Windows 11 if you’re running an Intel hybrid Core CPU. Microsoft optimized the scheduler in Windows 11 to relegate low CPU usage tasks to the energy-efficient E-cores, so you’ll see much better CPU utilization on your PC.

But if you prefer Windows 10 over Windows 11, you aren’t missing out on much by staying on the OS for the next two years.