According to a leaked document, it appears that Windows 10 users will not be able to access the best features of the latest Wi-Fi standard. Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) brings a number of improvements over its predecessor (802.11ax), most notably a doubling of bandwidth channels, and modulation. The leak via X user “chi11eddog” (via WccfTech) shows an Intel document that clearly indicates that only Windows 11, ChromeOS, and Linux users are getting support for Wi-Fi 7.
A document reveals Windows 10 doesn’t support Wi-Fi 7, due to lack of Windows 10 driver certified by Microsoft.
— chi11eddog (@g01d3nm4ng0) August 23, 2023
Qualcomm and MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 don’t support Windows 10 either. Microsoft limits Wi-Fi 7 to Windows 11 only? 🧐🧐🧐
GaP2/MtP2: Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200/BE202 pic.twitter.com/m5tIJoOI4O
Wi-Fi 7 looks to be a significant step up from Wi-Fi 6 so this could be a major blow for Windows 10 users. Perhaps a signed driver is in the works but so far it’s not looking good as major manufacturers have not announced anything on their side yet either. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Intel are working together to implement it in Windows 11 and Intel’s next Core Ultra platforms and Z790 chipset motherboards. Below are the official specifications (via Intel) versus the previous past two generations.
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Features
| Wi-Fi 5 ( 802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 6 ( 802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6E ( 802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 7 ( 802.11be) | |
| Frequency | 5GHz | Dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) | Tri-band (2.4, 5, 6 GHz) | Tri-band (2.4, 5, 6 GHz) |
| Bandwidth (Channels) | 20, 40 , 80, 80+80, 160MHz | 20, 40 , 80, 80+80, 160MHz | 20, 40 , 80, 80+80, 160MHz | 20, 40 , 80, 80+80, 160, 320MHz |
| Access (Multiplexing) | OFDM | OFDMA | OFDMA | OFDMA |
| Modulation | 254QAM | 1024QAM | 1024QAM | 4096 (4K) QAM |
| Antenna | DL MU-MIMO (4 x 4) | DL + UL MU-MIMO (8 x 8) | DL + UL MU-MIMO (8 x 8) | DL + UL MU-MIMO (8 x 8) |
| Security | WPA2 | WPA3 | WPA3 | WPA4 (TBD) |
| Key Innovations | 40MHz mandatory | TWT, BSS coloring, Beamforming | TWT, BSS coloring, Beamforming | Multi Link Operation (MLO), Multi-RU, Puncturing |
Intel is also said to be providing support for Wi-Fi 7 with its Gale Peak 2 BE200 discreet card and will be featured in its Killer 1750X controller that will also add Bluetooth 5.4.