Windows 11 is officially coming this holiday, and if you're excited to get your hands on the big update, we have some good news. Microsoft has confirmed that it will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users.

As we've mentioned before, Windows 11 is built on the same foundation as Windows 10, so a lot of the systems are similar. That means updates work similarly, too. In fact, Microsoft has even said that receiving the Windows 11 update will be similar to a Windows 10 feature update.

Of course, the big deal is that free upgrade. That's nothing new for Microsoft, though, since Windows 10 was also a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8.1 users. Microsoft wants all of its users to be on the same platform, and there's good reason for that. First, it makes app development easier since developers only need to support more recent Windows versions. Second, Microsoft likes to talk about how many Windows 10 devices there are, and splitting that userbase wouldn't make sense.

Microsoft will begin rolling out the free upgrade this holiday, when Windows 11 launches, but the roll out will continue into 2022. You don't have to update it in that time, though, since it will probably be available forever just like Windows 10 feature updates. With Windows 10, Microsoft said the free upgrade path would be available for one year, but you can still update those older PCs to Windows 10. In fact, as long as you meet the new system requirements, you should be able to get a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC updated all the way through to Windows 11. Of course, Windows 11 will also start being preinstalled in laptops and other PCs available at retail stores, so you won't have to worry about upgrading new purchases later this year.

If you just can't wait to try it out for yourself, though, the first build of Windows 11 is going to be available to Windows Insiders next week. Keep in mind, not every feature shown today will be available right away for Insiders, but they'll be added before the holiday launch.