Microsoft has experimented with cloud PC subscriptions (Windows 365), but the consumer desktop version is expected to remain a one-time purchase or free upgrade, not a subscription.
Leaks consistently reference a shift to a architecture. This would make the OS fully modular, allowing Microsoft to spin up lightweight versions for foldables, tablets, and low-end devices while maintaining a full version for gaming desktops [8†L17-L19][14†L14-L16]. windows 12 download iso