Microsoft Opens its Windows Store up to third-party App Stores

Microsoft has opened its own app store in Windows, inviting third-party app stores to integrate into the Microsoft Store. It’s a significant change that will see both Amazon and Epic Games Store discoverable in the Microsoft Store in the coming months.

A few months earlier, Microsoft announced some major changes to the Microsoft Store. Microsoft will also let developers keep 100 per cent of the revenue from apps if they use alternative payment platforms. The only exception is that this doesn’t apply to games.

Microsoft Opens its Windows Store up to third-party App Stores

“Just like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page — which can be found via search or by browsing. so that users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the Microsoft Store on Windows.  explains Giorgio Sardo, general manager of the Microsoft Store. “Today, we are sharing that Amazon and Epic Games will bring their storefront apps to the Microsoft Store over the next few months, and we look forward to welcoming other stores as well in the future.”

Back in June, the head of Windows and Devices, Panos Panay, said that Microsoft is open to Steam and other third-party stores being part of its new Windows 11 app store. He further said,

“I really want this experience where you go to the store, you type the app in, and you get the app you want”.

Although Steam isn’t on the list just yet, it could arrive in the future. Microsoft’s commitment to being an “open Store for an open platform” will now allow for any third-party storefront apps to be listed in the Microsoft Store on Windows. The separate apps and games from rival stores will not be discoverable and installable. The users will only get the apps from Windows Store.

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The only difference here is with Microsoft’s partnership with Amazon. Microsoft is bringing the ability to discover and search the Amazon Appstore directly from within the Microsoft Store. A preview of this integration will be available for Windows soon.

Microsoft’s open app store policies have already had a big impact on the Microsoft Store. Microsoft Store also listed popular apps like Discord, Zoom, VLC, TeamViewer, and Visual Studio Code. There are even Progressive Web Apps (PWA) from Reddit, Wikipedia, TikTok, Tumblr, and more. According to Microsoft’s new policies., any browser can now be listed in the Microsoft Store, too.

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Source: The Verge