Microsoft announces Windows 365 Link

ByMunyaradzi Mafaro

Microsoft has announced the Windows 365 Link, a mini-PC for streaming its Cloud PC Windows service. The device is aimed at businesses using Windows 365 and should give users more access to the cloud PCs.

For example, the Windows 365 Link lets users connect displays, a webcam, a mouse, and a keyboard with the Cloud PC service. Microsoft says Cloud PC users sometimes struggle with “complex login processes, incompatible peripherals, and latency issues.” The Windows 365 Link should solve those problems.

The device has an HDMI and a DisplayPort port, which supports two 4k displays. There are also four USB 3.2 ports, one of which is Type-C, and there is an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm port. The Link also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. So the device should support all peripherals, Microsoft reports. The company shares a few details about the internal hardware but says it should be powerful enough to make video calls. Microsoft tells The Verge that an unnamed Intel processor is inside, 8GB of memory and 64GB of storage.

Although the Link is essentially a mini PC, it is not intended to run your local OS. The Link’s operating system is only suitable for Windows 365 Cloud PC use and does not contain any local data, apps, or admin rights. The Link is, therefore, more secure for a Cloud PC than, for example, a Windows PC running a Cloud PC, says Microsoft. The Link supports Entra ID and FIDO USB security sticks.

The Windows 365 Link measures 120x120x30mm. The device is now available as a preview in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. The device should become more widely available from April 2025. It is unknown whether the device will also be available in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Windows 365 Link costs 329.59 euros, excluding VAT.

Munyaradzi Mafaro is a music enthusiast and he also likes to tackle topics of business, productivity, and the possibilities for growth in the digital world.