The move is part of a larger revitalization effort aiming to reinvigorate the Windows platform
This week Windows Central revealed that Microsoft is working on a new Store app for Windows 10. According to Zac Bowden, a Senior Editor at Windows Central, the new app will introduce a modern and fluid user interface.
It will also change the policies that govern what kind of apps can be submitted to the store by developers. The new Store will “pave the way to a revitalized storefront that’s more open to both end users and developers,” he adds.
Bowden says the Store app today is “slow, unintuitive, and frankly kind of ugly.” He also says it’s hard to navigate. But that’s all going to change with the new Store that Microsoft is working on, according Bowden.
Loosening the rules for developers
The new Store will continue to be a UWP app. It will be updated on a monthly cadence with new features and improvements over time. It should also provide a more stable download and install experience for large apps and games.
Microsoft is also planning to relax some of the policies around what kind of apps can be submitted to the Store by developers.
According to Bowden’s sources, developers will like three big changes coming to the new Store. First, Microsoft will allow developers to submit unpackaged Win32 apps to the Store. Secondly, developers will be able to host apps and updates on their own content delivery network (CDN). Thirdly, Microsoft will let developers use third-party commerce platforms in apps.
These changes will allow developers to bring their Win32 apps to the new Store without any changes to their existing code.
Previously, developers had to package their Win32 apps as an MSIX,. They were also forced to use Microsoft’s own store-driven update and commerce platforms. This will no longer be necessary with the new Store, according to Bowden.
9 hours ago
