Therefore the new policy should only apply to Microsoft Store games, and in principle it seems a replica of what is already happening on Xbox One - which makes sense considering the possibility of streaming the games themselves from the console to the PC.
No alarm then? Not for the moment, but many have asked Microsoft for clarification, and perhaps we will know more in the coming days. Meanwhile PCGamerHardware.de adds a curious detail: Windows 10 will not be able to run some old games due to DRM.
The fact is that the DRMs that were used a few years ago they are now considered real rootkits (and they were even then, to tell the truth), systems that potentially allow access to the PC without the user's knowledge. Let's talk about titles like Grand Theft Auto III, Battlefield 1942, The Sims and others. This news will annoy many, but in this case it is about making the operating system more secure. In particular, these are probably those micro virtual machines explained by Alex Ionescu a few months ago.
The games mentioned, therefore, will not be able to start on Windows 10 in their original version, but fortunately removing DRM is not particularly difficult today; for example, you can go to GOG and buy a version without this system.
However, some questions remain to which Microsoft, we hope, will soon give an answer. Are we just talking about video games or other applications as well? Will the system be limited to software distributed through the Windows Store, or even everything else? What does "authorized hardware" mean? Should we expect Windows 10 to scan our computers for illicit material? If you don't like or worry about this, you may want to start considering a Linux distribution, and all possible actions to make it as secure as possible. Qubes, for example, is a good starting point, but not exactly what we call "user friendly" software, it is not finished and certainly not made for video games.
Does Windows 10 block pirated games and software? Yes, no, maybe
