Windows 11 Redesigns Microsoft Store With A Big Edge Against Apple

The reveal of Windows 11 came with the surprising – and exciting – reveal that the new OS will support Android apps, but before that bombshell, Microsoft revealed some big news for developers looking to make a living off Windows apps. The company led this announcement by briefly touching on the redesigned Microsoft Store, saying that it has been rebuilt from the ground up for Windows 11.

Not only will the new Microsoft Store run faster, but Microsoft says that it will allow developers to "bring any technology" they want to the store. With that in mind, the Windows Store will support many types of apps, including Win32, PWA, and UWP. That's big enough news on its own, but it wasn't long after that reveal that Microsoft's Panos Panay dropped another shocker by revealing that developers who create their own commerce engines won't have to worry about Microsoft taking a cut of their profits.

In simple terms, what that means is Microsoft won't take a cut of in-app purchases and subscriptions made through apps that are hosted on the Microsoft Store. That's a direct shot at major competitors like Apple and perhaps even some smaller ones like Steam, which both take a cut of in-app purchase revenues from apps and games hosted on their stores.

Microsoft will also provide a commerce engine that developers can integrate with their apps and games, which developers can use in exchange for paying Microsoft a cut of each purchase. With this news that Microsoft won't take a cut of in-app purchases, Panay also announced that Adobe is bringing its Creative Cloud suite to the Microsoft Store on Windows 11, which is big news indeed.

With this announcement, Microsoft is definitely putting other app stores on notice. We'll see how this all plays out soon enough, as Windows 11 and its redesigned Microsoft Store are slated to go live later this year.