Microsoft’s next Windows 10 Anniversary update is set to combine both Xbox One and Windows 10 app stores into a single entity. This doesn’t quite come as a surprise as the company has been planning crossplatform apps for quite some time now, although it is nice to finally have a timeline for that to happen.
To make this single store work, Microsoft is also making it easier for developers to convert their games into Windows apps. A new tool will allow devs to add support for live tiles, notifications, and Xbox controllers. CDProjekt Red’s Witcher 3 and Microsoft’s own Age of Empires II HD were both shown in their Windows app form. More importantly, it was shown that AoE II still worked with Steam integration.
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It’s not only games that will be making their way across platforms. The Universal Windows Platform also means that Microsoft’s productivity suite will be available on the game console, allowing people to use their Xbox Ones for work as well.
The same Anniversary update will also turn every Xbox One into a dev kit. Allowing just about anyone to start building apps from their couch.
