Microsoft News Roundup: ARM Surface Go 4 is a no go, Microsoft leaks hidden Windows 11 features, and Lenovo's Legion Go

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Microsoft leaks hidden Windows 11 features
Microsoft Surface Go 4 with ARM postponed
Lenovo Legion Go in the works
Steam Deck tops Mac
Microsoft Loop now in Microsoft Store
Reviews & Editorials
Best laptop, PC, monitor, and gaming deals

From Surface Go disappointment to exclusive reports about a handheld gaming PC from Lenovo, this week was packed with all sorts of news. We even got to share a story about Linux surpassing macOS when it comes to gaming on Steam. Whether it's Microsoft Loop coming to the Microsoft Store or another trending topic, you can stay in the loop here with our weekly news roundup.

Microsoft leaks hidden Windows 11 features

Surface Laptop Go — (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft engineers have access to a tool that allows them to enable hidden features on Windows. But this week that tool leaked, allowing Insiders to turn on features that are in limited testing or that are hidden. It's called "Staging Tool," and it was spotted in a bug bash quest through the Feedback Hub.

Staging Tool is a command line interface that lets people enable or disable features through the use of feature IDs. That means you have to know a feature ID to enable or disable a specific feature. Thankfully, there's a GitHub page to help out.

Microsoft Surface Go 4 with ARM postponed

Those with hope for picking up a Surface Go 4 with an ARM processor got some bad news this week. According to our Senior Editor Zac Bowden, Microsoft has postponed its plans to ship and ARM-powered Surface Go. The company was going to release a Surface Go powered by a Qualcomm 7c-based processor, but it decided to go in another direction.

Instead, the next-gen Surface Go will feature an Intel Processor N200 CPU. That chip is part of a new lineup that replaces Intel's entry-level mobile series processors.

It's not entirely clear why Microsoft shifted its plans, but there's a chance that it's related to the Surface Go being aimed at business and education customers. Users in those sectors are less likely to have their needs met by a Windows on ARM PC.

Lenovo Legion Go in the works

The Lenovo Legion "Play." — (Image credit: Liliputing | Windows Central)

This year is the year of handheld gaming PCs. Valve's Steam Deck and ASUS' ROG Ally are doing well and AYANEO has an impressive portable gaming PC as well. Soon, we will have an entry from Lenovo to compete within the space. Our Managing Editor Jez Corden shared an exclusive report that Lenovo is working on the Legion Go.

The Legion Go will reportedly run on AMD's new Phoenix processors. Based on what Corden has heard, the Legion Go could feature an 8-inch screen, which is larger than the display of the Steam Deck and ROG Ally.

Of course, plans are always subject to change. We may never see the Legion Go ship to consumers, but if it does, we'll have another contender in the growing portable gaming PC market.

Steam Deck tops Mac

An image of a crying face emoji over a MacBook Air — (Image credit: Windows Central / iMore)

Sticking with mobile PC gaming, the rise in popularity of the Steam Deck has officially bumped macOS into third place when it comes to Steam gaming. The most recent Steam survey shows that Linux has taken the second spot when it comes to Steam users. Rather than 2023 being the fabled year of the Linux desktop, the shakeup in rankings is thanks to the Steam Deck.

Valve's Steam Deck runs Linux, and the handheld PC appears to be quite popular. SteamOS makes up 42% of the Linux market share of Steam users.

Microsoft Loop now in Microsoft Store

Microsoft Loop brings together components from across Microsoft 365 into shared workspaces. The aim is to facilitate collaboration while giving fine-tune controls over what is shared with specific people. For example, a shared workspace could have information from a Word document and financial data from an Excel spreadsheet, but only have that sensitive information shared with specific people.

Microsoft Loop shipped in preview to Android and iOS earlier this year. Now, it's available through the Microsoft Store on Windows 11.

Initially, Microsoft Loop only supported work accounts, but it now works with personal accounts as well.

Reviews & Editorials

HP OMEN 34c playing Diablo 4. — (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

One of the best parts of working at Windows Central is getting to play around with the latest and greatest tech. But we're not just here to have fun! Our team of experts runs laptops, monitors, and accessories through their paces to help you make an informed decision. Our gaming team also dives deep into the most popular titles to let you know if it's worth playing those games.

Best laptop, PC, monitor, and gaming deals

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB next to laptop. — (Image credit: SanDisk)

With back-to-school season in full force, there are plenty of deals across the tech world. Even if you're not a student, you can save big on laptops, SSDS, monitors, and more. Here are the best deals from the last week that are still live.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i: was $750 now $455 at Lenovo

This convertible laptop is an attractive choice for students, and I mean that in several ways. It has a sleek design and some color options that make it pop and it has a solid spec sheet for its price.

The 16-inch FHD display gives you plenty of space to work with. The IdeaPad Flex 5i runs on a 13th Gen Intel CPU, while the IdeaPad Flex 5 has an AMD Ryzen chip inside.

Price Check:

✅Pros: Low price, FHD display, support for a stylus, available in several colors

Intel version | AMD version

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 10): was $2,909 now $1,309 at Lenovo

This business laptop is one of the best on the market at any price, but you can get it now for $1,600 off. It has plenty of ports and a Communications Bar along the top that has a camera and four 360-degree microphones.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon also has security features built-in, including an IR camera with support for Windows Hello and support for NowTile, which can locate your laptop if it's lost or stolen.

Price Check: $1,139 at Amazon

✅Pros: Thin and portable, four 360-degree microphones, security features for business, plenty of ports

LOQ 16: was $1,420 now $1,100 at Lenovo

All work and no play make school dull, or something like that. This gaming laptop runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HZ processor paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. That's more than enough to handle the best PC games.

Despite its power and gaming prowess, the LOQ 16 has a design that would also look natural in the classroom. The current discount gets you a model with an RTX 4060 for the same price as the version with an RTX 4050 at other retailers. The laptop also comes with three months of Xbox Game Pass.

Price Check: $1,100 at Best Buy (RTX 4050 model)

✅Pros: Powerful CPU and GPU pairing, 144Hz refresh rate, conservative look that works for gaming or the classroom

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.