Microsoft releases first build of Windows 10 Redstone 5
Microsoft has made the Windows 10 Insider build with version number 17604 available to a select few Insiders. It is the first build of the upcoming Redstone 5 feature update, which is likely to be released in September.
The release of the first Redstone 5 build coincides with the arrival of a new Redstone 4 build, version number 17101, which is almost final. Redstone 4 is the next major update for Windows 10, which will probably get a final name in March.
Microsoft now says it is focusing on making the Redstone 4 update stable, but has meanwhile set up a new branch to develop the next major update, codenamed Redstone 5. Microsoft warns that the first version of the Redstone 5 build is yet to come. is a bit ‘rough’ and therefore can be unstable.
Windows Insiders who chose the Skip Ahead option will have access to the RS5 build. This will give a subset of Windows Insiders access to the next version, while the majority will continue to test Redstone 4. Microsoft previously used that option as an experiment with Insider builds of Redstone 3.
Insiders who opted for Skip Ahead at the time will now also receive the next version instead of the near-final version of Redstone 4. On the desktop, this branch is indicated with an rs_prerelease watermark. It is no longer possible to sign up for Skip Ahead, because Microsoft already has enough Insiders who have previously opted for it.
Microsoft does not yet provide many substantive details about Redstone 5. The first build does not seem to bring any major changes compared to Redstone 4. New features will probably be added later. The build does contain a number of new options that are also included in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17601, which is the Redstone 4 version that is almost final.
One of those new features is an Ultimate Performance profile, in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations. According to Microsoft, this profile goes further than the current High-Performance profile and the new profile contains fewer micro-latency caused by power management techniques.