Microsoft CEO says the 'next generation' of Windows is coming soon

At his keynote speech for Microsoft's Build conference on Tuesday, CEO Satya Nadella talked about a major update in the works for Windows. Nadella didn't offer details, but he did refer to the update as the "next generation of Windows," not just Windows 10. That makes it sound likely that whatever Nadella is talking about will be the most significant update for the operating system since it debuted in 2015.

"Soon we will share one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade to unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators," Nadella said in his keynote. "I've been self-hosting it over the past several months and I'm incredibly excited about the next generation of Windows. Our promise to you is this: We will create more opportunity for every Windows developer today and welcome every creator who is looking for the most innovative, new, open platform to build and distribute and monetize applications. We look forward to sharing more very soon."

Build is a developer conference, so Nadella was speaking to a specific audience there. But the "next generation" of Windows will be a big deal for PC gamers as well. This update has been in the works for some time under the codename Sun Valley , and the bits of detail that have leaked out and relevant job postings point to it being a significant overhaul of the look and feel of Windows. With the six year anniversary of Windows 10 coming up in July, summer seems a likely timeframe for a reveal event.

And if I had to guess, Microsoft's going to go with a new name, dropping the "10" and simply calling its new operating system… Windows.