Microsoft opens Microsoft Store on Windows to third-party app stores from Amazon, Epic Games, and others
Microsoft is opening its Microsoft Store to third-party storefront apps from companies like Amazon and Epic Games.
In a blog post, Microsoft Store CEO Giorgio Sardo called it an “important update.”
“Like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page that can be found through search or browsing – so users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the world. Microsoft Store on Windows, â€Sardo wrote. He said: “We are looking forward to welcoming more stores in the future.”
The news builds on Microsoft’s strategic moves to attract app developers to its platforms. He previously announced that he is working with Amazon and Intel to make Android apps run on Windows 11. Users will find them through the Microsoft Store and install them through the Amazon Appstore.
The changes are part of a larger refresh of the Microsoft Store, including support for more types of apps, a new revenue sharing option for app developers, editorial content, and more. The new Microsoft Store will launch alongside Windows 11 on October 5 and on Windows 10 in the coming months.
“Our commitment to being an ‘Open Store for an Open Platform’ is not just about the various technical foundations of app building. It’s also about making sure our trading conditions are fair and help promote innovation, â€Sardo noted in today’s blog post. “For example, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share their revenue with Microsoft, when apps run their own integrated payment systems.
Microsoft will release Windows 11 on October 5 as a free upgrade for existing Windows 10 machines and preinstalled on newer computers. Microsoft will use what it calls a “phased and measured approach” that assesses a PC’s specifications to determine when Windows Update will offer the upgrade.
Announcing new steps to open the @MicrosoftStore to #The Windows to all developers, including other stores and browsers. Welcome to our new partners. We look forward to continuing this journey with app developers. https://t.co/B0eNGWp6c5 pic.twitter.com/foYs0FpL4I
– Giorgio Sardo (@gisardo) September 28, 2021
