Windows 10 Release Date Announced

Microsoft has confirmed Windows 10 will be available for PCs and tablets worldwide from July 29.

The confirmation was provided on the Windows Blog, where Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president of its operating systems group, said the release was the start of Microsoft's efforts in delivering a "more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices, and natural interactions with your Windows devices."

As revealed in March, Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free for the first twelve months following Windows 10's launch.

Although Microsoft initially indicated those running pirated versions of Windows would also be able to upgrade to genuine Windows 10 for free, it has since said this is not the case.

"While our free offer to upgrade to Windows 10 will not apply to non-genuine Windows devices, as we've always done, we will continue to offer Windows 10 to customers running devices in a non-genuine state." Myerson said.

"Non-genuine Windows has a high risk of malware, fraud, public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions," he added. "Non-genuine Windows is not supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner."

Microsoft is, however, working with partners to make upgrading to a legitimate version more appealing.

"In partnership with some of our valued OEM partners, we are planning very attractive Windows 10 upgrade offers for their customers running one of their older devices in a non-genuine state," he said. "Please stay tuned to learn more from our partners on the specifics of their offers."

Microsoft is working with Chinese Internet giant Tencent to bring League of Legends to Windows 10, while Candy Crush Saga will come pre-installed on the latest version of its operating system.

Windows 10 also features a new Xbox gaming app, which won't require Xbox Live Gold. Additionally, Windows 10 will allow Xbox One games to stream to PCs and tablets running the new OS. Cross-platform play will also be supported, starting with Fable Legends.

Microsoft has said its ambition is for Windows 10 to reach 1 billion devices by 2018. Windows 10 is expectedfor Xbox One later this year.