18 PCWorld JANUARY 2022NEWS STORE APP STARTS ROLLING OUT TO WINDOWS 10
after a background update to the operating
system. Bleeping Computer (fave.
co/31ZnPCa) noticed the upgrade going
out late last week.
The most obvious change is a shift to
the new interface, but there are under-the-
hood upgrades as well. The Microsoft store
can now handle a wider array of program
types, from the ultra-thin
Progressive Web Apps and
Universal Windows Platform
(UWP) applications to heavier
Win32 and .NET programs,
among others. Future
upgrades coming to both
Windows 10 and Windows 11
will allow the dedicated Xbox
app to download PC games
to user-selected directories
(fave.co/3m9Gulx) with
better support for mods.Most Windows 11 users still lack
the much-ballyhooed support for
Android apps (fave.co/3dZASWp),
which was showed off at its
announcement—and which might
help overcome the UWP format’s
inability to catch on. (MacOS and
Chrome OS can install apps from iOS
and Android, respectively.) But as far
as we know, that feature won’t be
making its way back to Windows 10
when it becomes widely available.
The updated Windows Store
experience will be rolling out to Windows
10 users in phases over the next month or
so. The change is welcome, but don’t
expect fundamental changes off the bat. As
we said in our Windows 11 review (fave.
co/3cdEtj3), “There’s so much that
Microsoft needs to fix with its Store app
that goes beyond simple UI.”We’re still waiting to see Android apps on the Microsoft Store.The new interface is the most obvious change to the store.