Windows 10's first 2020 update has already started beta testing

Windows 10 2020 update
Image Credit: TechRadar

Microsoft has begun beta testing for a major update to Windows 10 that won't launch until early 2020, codenamed '20H1', the company announced today.

This is way early considering that Microsoft's next major Windows 10 patch, the April 2019 Update, is just now approaching ready-to-manufacture (RTM) status. Heck, public beta testing for the forthcoming October update codenamed '19H2' won't even begin until sometime this spring. 

But, there's a reason Microsoft is getting way ahead.

"Some things we are working on in 20H1 require a longer lead time," Dona Sarkar, Microsoft's head of its Windows Insider beta testing program, wrote in Microsoft's blog post.

This version of Windows 10 20H1 (called "Skip Ahead") is the earliest build that beta testers can access, and is by far the least stable of Microsoft's Windows 10 beta tests. The idea is for enthusiast users to help crowdsource the company's quality assurance process, essentially.

Of course, Microsoft hasn't yet revealed any major features that the 20H1 update will bring, but we should expect to hear word soon enough if testing is already under way. And, if testing is starting this far out from launch, we're hoping for some absolutely massive changes.

Joe Osborne

Joe Osborne is the Senior Technology Editor at Insider Inc. His role is to leads the technology coverage team for the Business Insider Shopping team, facilitating expert reviews, comprehensive buying guides, snap deals news and more. Previously, Joe was TechRadar's US computing editor, leading reviews of everything from gaming PCs to internal components and accessories. In his spare time, Joe is a renowned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master – and arguably the nicest man in tech.