Microsoft is reportedly reviving the Microsoft Store with a new user interface and app submission policy. The information comes from Windows Central, which was able to contact an internal source at Microsoft.
The Store app in Windows 10, Microsoft Store, serves as an entry point for discovering new apps and receiving updates, all in one place. However, the Store has some limitations that make users to turn to alternative solutions like Chocolatey. Even Microsoft provides similar tools (see winget) as a Store alternative. In many cases, these tools are more convenient than the options offered by the Store for installing applications.
Another limitation raises the banner when it comes to app you can find from the Microsoft Store on Windows. Most apps there are UWP apps, many are just wrappers for online services. On the other hand, there are thousands of cool desktop/Win32 apps available for Windows, and only a few of them are available on the Store.
To change the situation and make the Store app more useful to the end user, Microsoft is reworking it. What's coming to Microsoft Store
- The updated user interface, similar to what Alarms and Clocks recently received.
- Developers will be able to submit classic Win32 apps to the Store. It will support both EXE and MSI installers. This will also include Microsoft's own products like Visual Studio, Office, Edge, and Teams.
- Classic desktop apps will be able to maintain and receive updates from their own websites and CDNs. Developers will not be forced to use Store for uploading app updates.
- Apps will be able to use third-party ad networks instead of Microsoft's commerce platform, and avoid revenue sharing with Microsoft.
The changes will go live with a major OS update, Sun Valley, and are expected to hit consumer devices in fall 2021.
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After so long, seeing Microsoft give up the inclusion of EXE and MSI is very good
But I did not like to remove the mandatory update by the store only. The convenience of the store updating your applications silently is very good nowadays, letting the developer can post the update through his website removes this convenience
Since my language is not English, my first sentence may have been a little confusing
I’m basically excited to see the inclusion of EXE and MSI in the store
About damn time. It may actually be useful for once.
Good. But not a game changer unless they end this nasty sandbox policy they do for Store apps. The Store version for IrfanView, for example, is crippled compared to the non-Store version, and it’s the same for Inkscape.