Microsoft is getting serious about bringing Universal Windows apps to the Xbox One, by the looks of it. According to The Verge, Microsoft will reveal the first universal Xbox apps over at the Build developers’ conference, which will be held later this month. According to Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, Microsoft will reveal more about the Universal Windows Platform.
We will discuss our next steps with the Universal Windows Platform at //build later this month.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 4, 2016
Microsoft has been talking about universal Xbox apps since back in 2014, as they talked about apps that can run across PCs, consoles (Xbox), phones and tablets. Called the Universal Windows Platform, this initiative saw its launch with Windows 10 last year. What this means is that an app made for Windows tablets and PCs can run on Windows phones with little effort, and vice versa. It seems that very soon, Xbox will be added to this list as well.
A lot of stuff is unclear about the program, however. We don’t know, for example, if UWP will allow for cross-play, or perhaps even cross-buy. Then there’s the fact that not everyone is on board: Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney voiced concerns regarding the UWP, claiming that it was Microsoft’s attempt at monopolising PC gaming.
What do you think will the Universal Windows Platform entail? Let us know in the comments below.