Amazon Prime Video Windows App Lets You Download Videos With A Catch

Microsoft has long been trying to populate its app store, pushing every development framework, from UPWs to PWAs, to entice developers to jump in. There have been, however, some movement going in the opposite direction, with developers and brands exiting the Microsoft Store instead. That store just got one big addition to its list of apps but while the Amazon Prime Video app does offer some convenience, it curiously comes with an undisclosed limitation as well.

It has always been possible to access Amazon Prime Video from any web browser so one might wonder why bother with a separate app anyway. Aside from keeping some activities separate, there is actually one practical benefit to this new Windows app that the browser experience can't offer. Like what the Prime Video iOS app offers, subscribers will also be able to download videos for offline viewing.

That, however, may have a limitation that neither Amazon nor Microsoft is telling upfront. The Verge reports that almost all the videos they tried to download maxed out at 720p even if the video is listed with higher resolutions. That said, Amazon doesn't exactly guarantee what resolution a video can be downloaded in so it's pretty much going to be a trial and error affair.

Of course, you can always watch videos in higher resolutions but you'll have to do that via streaming, either from the app or from a web browser like before. The app also offers Amazon Prime Video's popular value-added features like X-Ray and IMDB integration so you won't miss a beat by using the native app.

The Amazon Prime Video app on the Windows Store is available for free. Of course, it does presume you already have a Prime Video account, which requires an $8.99 monthly subscription fee unless you're already an Amazon Prime subscriber paying $119 yearly.