Windows Core OS mention spotted in official support document

Laurent Giret

A white Windows logo on a blue background

Mentions of Windows Core OS, the new modular version of Windows will power HoloLens 2 and the upcoming Surface Hub 2X, have appeared in an official support document Microsoft published earlier this year. Windows Latest was first to report on the document yesterday, but it had actually been spotted by Microsoft watcher WalkingCat back in July, and the document was actually published back in April.

There’s nothing really interesting about this very long document about diagnostic events in Windows 10 version 1903, except these three bullet points mentioning Windows Core OS and the Windows Shell:

  • wcmp The Windows Shell Composer ID.
  • wPId The Windows Core OS product ID.
  • wsId The Windows Core OS session ID.

Microsoft has yet to officially discuss what is Windows Core OS, and it’s possible that the company does so during its upcoming Surface event on October 2. In addition to the HoloLens 2 and Surface Hub 2X software, Windows Core OS is also expected to power the operating system for the next Xbox console codenamed Project Scarlett, as well as “Windows Lite,” a rumored new Microsoft OS for Chromebook-like PCs and dual-screen devices.

Even though Microsoft has created specific versions of Windows 10 to run on smartphones, Xbox One, Surface Hub, or IoT devices, Windows Core OS is expected to push this streamlining initiative even further by dropping more legacy Windows components that are no longer necessary on non-PC devices. This is obviously a very ambitious project that has been years in the making, and we can’t wait to see Microsoft finally share more details about it.