Are you sick of Windows 11 ads yet? Let’s hope not, because Microsoft has a few more it’s ready to serve up. As part of the new Windows 11 Preview build, you may notice that Windows will begin showing you ads for the Game Pass in the Settings app. And while it’s not rolled out to the main branch just yet, it should only be a matter of time until it arrives.
Key Takeaways
- Windows 11 now shows Game Pass ads in Settings App on Preview build.
- Ads based on gaming activity – shown if system detects active gaming.
- Response from users developing anti-ad tools to combat incoming ads.
As announced on the Windows Update X feed, Microsoft has pushed out the June 2024 non-security update to the Preview build. The account also covered some of the main points in the update, which included the announcement of the Game Pass recommendation card arriving in this build.
The full patch notes go into more detail as to how these Game Pass recommendations will work. If you sign into Windows Home or Pro using a Microsoft account (which is something Microsoft would really prefer you do), Windows will begin checking to see if you use your PC to play games. If the system detects that you “actively play games on your PC,” it will show the Game Pass ad. Otherwise, it will keep the ad hidden.
This move is part of Microsoft’s plan to add more advertisements into Windows 11, which comes hot on the heels of Start menu ads arriving. Fortunately, in a case where Windows 11’s best developers are its own users, people are already banding together to develop anti-ad tools in response. We’ll have to see if Microsoft can keep up with the new wave of tool makers creating apps to remove their newly-created ads.
