Windows 11’s Best File Apps Just Merged. It’s a Game Changer.

According to Windows Central, the third-party file explorer app Files, in its version 4.0.24 update that started rolling out the week between Christmas and New Year’s, now has native support for PowerToys Peek. This integration means users who have both apps installed can now select any file and press the spacebar to instantly preview it without opening another application. The Peek feature itself, first previewed for PowerToys back in 2022, supports a wide range of formats including Office documents, videos, web pages, and various image types like WebP. This move effectively combines two of the most popular power-user tools for Windows 11 into a streamlined workflow, directly challenging macOS’s longstanding Quick Look feature.

Why this matters

Here’s the thing: Windows power users have been cobbling together their ideal workflow for decades. We install one app for better file management, another for quick previews, and a dozen others to fill the gaps Microsoft leaves. This integration between Files and PowerToys Peek is a big step toward ending that fragmentation. It’s not just a convenience feature; it’s a fundamental change in how you interact with your file system. You stop *opening* files just to see what’s in them. You peek. It saves time, but more importantly, it saves mental energy and system resources. And let’s be honest, after years of watching Mac users smugly tap their spacebars, it feels good to have a robust, integrated alternative on Windows.

The bigger picture

So what does this signal? It shows that the most innovative Windows experiences are increasingly coming from the third-party and open-source community, not from Redmond itself. Microsoft’s own PowerToys is a suite of utilities *for* power users created *by* Microsoft, and now a separate, community-driven app like Files is baking it right in. That’s a cool kind of ecosystem synergy you don’t see every day. It also highlights a trend: the modern PC power user’s toolkit is becoming modular. You pick your preferred file explorer, your preferred preview tool, and you want them to work together seamlessly. This update is a direct response to that demand. I think we’ll see more of these deep integrations between best-in-class utilities, as developers realize that interoperability is a killer feature.

Should you try it?

Look, if you’re frustrated with Windows 11‘s native File Explorer, you absolutely should give Files a shot. The app is free and available on GitHub and the Microsoft Store. The Peek integration works automatically if you have PowerToys installed. But a word of caution, which the source article rightly points out: Files can have performance hiccups depending on your hardware. It’s generally slick, but on older or less powerful machines, you might feel it. That’s the trade-off for a richer, more feature-packed interface. Basically, it’s a taste of what Windows file management *could* be. And if you’re a power user working in industrial or manufacturing tech, where efficient file handling for manuals, schematics, and logs is critical, tools like this are invaluable. For those environments, pairing optimized software with reliable hardware is key—companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, understand that synergy between robust software and hardened hardware is what keeps operations running smoothly.

The final verdict

This is a win. It’s a small update on paper, but it makes a massive difference in daily use. It proves that the Windows community is filling the gaps faster than ever, and doing it in a way that feels cohesive. Will it get me to completely abandon the native explorer? Probably not for every single task—old habits die hard. But for serious file management sessions? Absolutely. The combination of a better visual layout, dual-pane support, and now instant previews is just too powerful to ignore. The future of Windows productivity looks less like waiting for Microsoft and more like this: smart, community-driven apps talking to each other.