Microsoft sets strict hardware requirements for Windows 11, but gives applications considerable leeway in the amount of system resources they use. Google is taking a different approach with Android. Starting next year, the company will penalize developers for excessive memory usage. Microsoft could take a cue from that.
Microsoft has a fairly extensive list of hardware requirements for systems running Windows 11. The processor must be supported, TPM 2.0 is mandatory, and a system needs at least 4 GB of RAM. In practice, 8 GB is more like the minimum for comfortable use.
It’s precisely this memory requirement that sparks an interesting discussion. In benchmarks, Windows 11 regularly performs less favorably than macOS and Linux. Such comparisons can never be made on a completely one-to-one basis: hardware, drivers, and software architecture differ. But they do make it clear that more RAM, especially in times of scarce and expensive memory, is not automatically the only solution for a slow PC. The efficiency of the operating system also plays a role.
Microsoft seems to recognize this. The company is working on improving memory usage on Windows 11 systems with 8 GB of RAM and is testing settings for Unified Memory, which allows the CPU and GPU to use the same memory more flexibly. Apple has been using this type of shared memory architecture ever since the transition to Apple Silicon. Because Apple develops its own chips, computers, and operating system, it can closely coordinate these components. Microsoft develops Windows, but the operating system runs largely on hardware from other manufacturers, in a wide variety of configurations. As a result, Microsoft has much less control over the overall system.
Google sets a limit
Google is tackling the problem from the application side. Starting in February 2027, Google Play will impose specific requirements on the memory and performance usage of apps and games. On a device with 8 GB of RAM, for example, a standard app will be limited to 2.25 GB when running in the foreground and 1.5 GB when running in the background. Games will be allowed more space.
Google is also examining factors such as memory usage by images and the optimization of DEX code. Through Android Vitals, developers gain insight into usage and receive warnings when their app exceeds the limits. Efficient use of hardware thus explicitly becomes the responsibility of the software developer as well.
That principle is more interesting than the exact limits Google chooses. With PCs, performance issues could long be addressed with more memory or faster hardware. That’s becoming less of a given. RAM is more expensive, and not every modern laptop is easy to upgrade, while AI applications actually require more memory.
Windows is not Android
Microsoft can’t simply copy Google. Windows is a much more open software platform. Traditional Win32 applications can be installed outside the Microsoft Store, making it difficult for Microsoft to impose a memory limit on developers.
Within the part of the ecosystem that Microsoft does control, however, the situation is different. Certification requirements already exist for Microsoft Store apps, and Microsoft also enforces restrictions on resource usage elsewhere. It could extend this approach by imposing measurable performance requirements on software it develops itself or distributes through its Store.
That would also force Microsoft to take a critical look at its own applications. Clipchamp is one example: Microsoft recently acknowledged that the video editor can encounter performance issues on less powerful systems.
Requirements should apply to both sides
Google demonstrates that a platform provider can not only determine what hardware must be capable of, but also how much software can reasonably demand of it. Apple shows what’s possible when hardware, memory architecture, and the operating system are closely aligned. Windows falls somewhere between these two models.
Microsoft can, and does not have to, lock down Windows. But anyone who requires users to meet strict hardware requirements should critically evaluate both its own operating system and the software running on it to determine what that hardware truly needs.