Microsoft is releasing its first major Windows update in six years and it will be available as a free download to existing Windows users depending on the hardware and age of their PC device, according to USA Today. 

Microsoft previously said it would utilize a "phased and measured" approach in rolling out the new operating system.

The release will start with Windows 10 PCs and PCs that come preloaded with Windows. 

The company said users will be notified when they're eligible for the update from now through mid-2022.

Windows 11 features a handful of notable design changes, such as a new Start menu that shows recently opened files and a new interface intended to bring "a sense of calm and ease." 

It also includes a new personalized Widgets feed, more multitasking tools, support for Android mobile apps in its new app store, and an integration with Microsoft Teams, its workplace chat and videoconferencing app.

In addition to these features, it comes in a sleeker design compared to previous versions and offers new or redesigned features – such as Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions and Windows Speech Recognition – to provide increased accessibility to users with disabilities.

At a livestreamed media event in September, Microsoft also unveiled updates to its Surface line, which will ship with Windows 11. 

It also announced the release of a $1,599 Surface Laptop Studio that can change from laptop mode to a position better for streaming TV shows and another for drawing or sketching. 

It was designed specifically alongside the development of Windows 11.