What you need to know
- Third-party developer Gustave Monce managed to get Windows 10X to run on the Surface Duo.
- Originally, Windows 10X was restricted to one display of the Duo, but that limitation has been fixed.
- The Surface Duo running Windows 10X runs in a similar manner to the Surface Neo that Microsoft canceled.
When Microsoft first unveiled the Surface Duo, the company also announced the Surface Neo. The fates of those devices have gone down different paths, with the Duo shipping to consumers and receiving a sequel while the Neo never saw the light of day. Despite this divergence, the Duo and Neo are now connected by Windows 10X.
The Surface Neo was supposed to ship with Windows 10X, a modern version of Windows that shed some of the legacy and bloat of previous generations. Like Neo, Windows 10X was never released, but early builds of it gave us a glimpse of what a lightweight version Windows could look like.
Windows 10X was never meant for the Duo, which runs Android, but it has been forced onto the device.
Third-party developer Gustave Monce has worked for years to get Windows to run on the Duo. He recently got Windows 10X to run on the foldable. Late Sunday night, Monce shared that he figured out how to get Windows 10X to run on both screens of the Surface Duo.
Was a blast to get this working throughout the week. Should include all languages. It has the same quirks Desktop currently as (no more no less).I'm going to bed now given I'm tired and need to work tomorrow too, but was tested ok as well on my end. Have fun exploring this,…April 16, 2023
Shane Craig showed how Windows 10X works on the Surface Duo in a recent video.
When running on both screens, the setup looks like a blend of the Surface Duo running Android and design elements that have made their way to Windows 11 from Windows 10X. For example, the Start menu can be opened by swiping up from the minimized Taskbar. That functionality is available in the most recent Insider builds of Windows 11.
Swapping an app from one screen to the other functions much like when the Duo runs Android. The main difference is that rather than swiping from the bottom, Windows 10X on the Surface Duo requires you to swipe from the top. You can also span an app across two displays.
The Surface Duo with Windows 10X may be the closest we ever get to a Surface Neo, at least as the PC was originally envisioned.
While it is possible to get Windows 10X to run on a Surface Duo, only technical users should even consider attempting to do so. An installation guide is on GitHub but it's important to note that a mistake could result in your device being bricked. There are also issues and several elements that will not work with the setup. It's a fun experiment but not something meant for a device you expect to use daily.
As pointed out by our Senior Editor Zac Bowden, the merging of Windows 10X and the Surface Duo is poetic. Windows 10X was born, at least in part, out of the remains of Andromeda OS, which runs on the Surface Duo.
