- Microsoft now offers physical copies of Windows 11.
- The retail box includes USB install media and a product key.
- The price is the same as buying the product key online.
Microsoft quietly begins offering physical copies of Windows 11 through retail channels. The retail boxes of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Home were recently spotted at Best Buy (via @luke_blevins1 and OnMsft) for $200 and $140, respectively.
The box includes a USB flash drive with the installation files and the product key to activate the copy of Windows 11. However, the new offering is meant for custom builds and devices without a genuine product key since computers running an activated version of Windows 10 can upgrade to Windows 11 for free.
If you have a computer that meets the minimum requirements, you can upgrade through Windows Update or using a bootable media. You can also create a USB bootable media and perform a clean installation of Windows 11.
Microsoft is also keeping the same prices as the retail packaging for Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home and the same price as acquiring a license from the Microsoft Store.
Although many people would see this as unnecessary, the official USB flash drive will offer an easy way to install Windows for those users who are not technical or don’t have enough internet speed to download the installation files.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.