IT之家 October 26 news, the tech media outlet NeoWin today (October 26) published a blog post reporting that Microsoft has updated its support documentation, announcing that on the new generation of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm platforms, the Pluton security coprocessor will no longer assume TPM 2.0 functionality, and TPM will instead be provided by vendor firmware TPM or a discrete TPM.
IT之家 note: In the Windows 11 system, Microsoft has raised the hardware threshold, one of the hard requirements being that the device must support Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
TPM usually exists in the form of a discrete chip, a firmware module within the CPU, or a security coprocessor in the SoC. It has a protected storage area that can hold keys, certificates, password hashes, and measurements; even if the system is reinstalled or the hard drive is removed, these TPM-protected data are difficult to extract directly.
At the architectural level, Pluton is a security architecture led by Microsoft and implemented inside processors by chip manufacturers such as AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. This architecture directly integrates a security processor, protected storage, and secure firmware into the SoC, with the goal of reducing the chances of attackers stealing keys, credentials, and system data through physical contact or firmware attacks.
In terms of hardware implementation, Pluton moves critical security capabilities inside the main processor, giving the security CPU, key storage, and encryption engine a stronger isolation boundary from the system’s main CPU, memory, and external buses. In this way, keys do not need to be transmitted over motherboard traces, and the attack surface is smaller.
Previously, one of Pluton’s important selling points was precisely its ability to directly serve as TPM 2.0, and through a more isolated hardware environment, reduce the risk of attackers stealing data after gaining physical access to the device.
The report states that Microsoft has adjusted the role of its Pluton security architecture on new hardware. According to Microsoft’s updated 2026 hardware guidance, on the new generation of chip platforms from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Pluton will no longer be used as the system’s TPM 2.0.
TPM functionality will subsequently be handled by firmware TPM (fTPM) provided by the processor manufacturer, such as Intel’s PTT, or by a discrete TPM chip on the motherboard.
Microsoft emphasizes that this change does not mean abandoning Pluton. Pluton will continue to exist in current and future Windows devices and will continue to provide a hardware-isolated secure environment; this adjustment only strips away the “acting as TPM” function.
However, Microsoft did not explain why this adjustment was made on the new platforms, nor did it disclose whether it is related to compatibility, supply chain, security policy, or vendor implementation methods.