Microsoft has liberalized its Apps store to become open to other 3rd party app stores and browsers. While, we already knew about Amazon app store, even Epic games is bringing its storefront apps to the Microsoft store.
Because of Microsoft allowing third party browsers to bring their own browser engines, Opera and Yandex browser have landed in the Microsoft store. Microsoft’s collaboration with major app developers has seen big name desktop apps like Discord, VLC and Zoom joining the Microsoft store.
An initial wave of new desktop apps that you can try today includes communication platforms like Discord, Zoom Cloud Meetings, and KakaoTalk, and creativity-focused tools such as Luminar AI, Music Maker, and VLC. Desktop productivity applications, like TeamViewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and LibreOffice, are also available for download and are joined by new additions from inside Microsoft, like Microsoft PowerToys, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio Community.
Furthermore, several high-quality Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are also now available in the Microsoft Store on Windows, including Reddit, Wikipedia, TikTok, Lyft, Quizlet and Tumblr.
Microsoft also expects more 3rd party app stores joining the Microsoft store in future. That sounds like a good strategy to fight the app gap.
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.
You can read the official blog post here.
