What you need to know
- Microsoft began testing a new version of the Microsoft Store among Canary and Dev Channel Insiders.
- The updated Microsoft Store loads product pages quicker, shows the buy button after a shorter wait time, and can launch without showing the splash screen in most situations.
- Microsoft did not list all of the changes to the Microsoft Store in a change log, but some Microsoft employees have shared some of what’s new on X.
The Microsoft Store will soon get a big boost in terms of performance. Microsoft began testing an updated version of its store among Dev Channel and Canary Channel Insiders recently. While we don’t know all of the changes in the new version of the Microsoft Store, some Microsoft employees shared some of the improvements on X (formerly Twitter).
Rudy Huyn, Principal Lead Architect of the Microsoft Store, noted several improvements. Product pages load 40% faster on average in the new version of the Microsoft Store. The buy button appears quicker as well, thanks to Microsoft optimizing how the store handles entitlement and licensing. When launching the Microsoft Store, you won’t see the splash screen in most situations, as noted by Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Sergio Pedri.
Product pages are now loading ~40% faster on average. (2/5) pic.twitter.com/iDAi3BOqKGApril 3, 2024
Last the team changed how the application launches and manages the splash screen, resulting in a smoother launch experience. (4/5)https://t.co/BByoWVMfqg pic.twitter.com/AuLRGIcOyqApril 3, 2024
Microsoft did not detail all of the changes to the Microsoft Store in a change log. Huyn said the update “includes many other changes, but we will let you discover them!” We’ll have to play around with the Microsoft Store to see what else is new.
The Microsoft Store has come a long way
In the days of Windows 8, one of my friends had a Surface device of some kind, I forget which generation of 2-in-1 it was. I remember mentioning the Microsoft Store as the easiest way to install a particular app my friend needed. He looked at me and said, “this thing has a store?”
I don’t think my friend’s experience was rare at the time. Decades of installing programs through a browser or physical media had conditioned Windows users to get apps through means other than the Microsoft Store. Microsoft did itself few favors with how poor the store was back then. Toss in the fact that few first-party apps were in the Microsoft Store and you had a terrible product.
Fast forward to 2024 and the Microsoft Store is in a much better place. Huyn’s leadership and the work of Microsoft’s team have transformed the Microsoft Store. In addition to faster loading times and other performance improvements, the Microsoft Store has many features it once lacked. Little changes like the store not prioritizing apps or games you already have installed on its home page add up.
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Microsoft also made it much easier to get apps into the store, supporting a variety of app types. Microsoft is killing support for Android apps on Windows 11, but that was just one of many efforts to get more apps onto PCs.
The Microsoft Store also has apps you actually want to use now, which is rather essential. While there are still several great third-party apps, big companies have made their apps available in the store as well. Discord, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, iTunes, Adobe Acrobat, CorelDRAW, Canva, TikTok, PlutoTV, Paramount+, SlingTV, and Reddit all have apps in the Microsoft Store.
The Microsoft Store is barely recognizable when compared to its predecessor, and that’s a compliment.
