Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) has recently come under fire for releasing software updates that actually do more harm than good. But Microsoft may also have a plan to fix this with a new feature called Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery. This tool can actually reset a system to previous drivers if a new driver is causing issues. That news helped Microsoft stock jump, and shares were up nearly 3.5% in Friday’s trading.
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Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery is basically exactly what the name suggests: a system that removes the need to manually address driver issues at the hardware partner or even end user level. Currently, if a driver causes issues, the hardware partner needs to submit a replacement, or the end user has to manually uninstall that particular driver. But Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery does the job automatically.
Microsoft noted, “Today, when a driver published through Windows Update is identified after distribution to have quality issues, the remediation path relies on the hardware partner to submit an updated driver — or on end users to manually uninstall the problematic driver themselves. This creates a gap where devices may remain on a low-quality driver for an extended period.”
A Much Smaller Cloud Controller
Microsoft’s console controllers were often known for their sheer bulk. While they have slimmed up over the years, the new appearance of the cloud gaming controller is Microsoft’s slimmest yet. Leaks from a Brazilian website featured a controller that was downright tiny, and fairly dissimilar to Microsoft’s normal lineup.
The standard Microsoft aesthetic, meanwhile, of staggered thumb sticks, four buttons in a diamond pattern, and rectangular body will be in place. Microsoft is set to manufacture these devices itself, and will be available in your choice of black or white. A rechargeable battery is also involved, which is something of a departure from Microsoft’s preferred AA batteries. To improve latency, the controller uses Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth to connect, reports note.
Is Microsoft a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on MSFT stock based on 33 Buys and two Holds assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 9.87% loss in its share price over the past year, the average MSFT price target of $559.98 per share implies 31.32% upside potential.
