Microsoft Starts New Tax-free Windows Store

Windows 11 leaked in advance, as of today it’s official. Many aspects and details of today’s unveiling were already on board in the leak. But one thing was completely missing, namely the new Windows Store. And that has been fundamentally revised. More than that.

Last week’s leak spoiled Microsoft’s big surprise, but the Redmond company still had one or two surprises up its sleeve. This includes above all the fundamentally new Microsoft Store. Microsoft made profound changes here, and you had to do that because the earlier Windows Store never really caught on.

Microsoft Store Is Now “tax-free”

The revised look is an important aspect of the new store, but Panos Panay has announced the real hammer for the business aspect. Because in many cases Microsoft does not take a stake or “tax”, as they are levied by Apple and Google – mostly at a rate of 30 percent.

Developers who bring their own “economical engine” will in the future receive 100 percent of Microsoft’s sales. It still remains to be seen how exactly this will be implemented and whether this also applies to games, but such a “tax exemption” could be a decisive factor in helping the Microsoft Store to breakthrough.

According to Microsoft, the Microsoft Store is committed to openness, so the days are over when Microsoft tried to impose the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) on developers. Developers and independent software providers can offer Win32, Progressive Web Apps (PWA), Universal Windows Apps, or applications created using the app framework.

The new store should offer an even larger selection of apps and content (via Netflix, Disney). Finding interesting applications should also be done through curated collections. Finally, Windows 11 and the new store will also support Android apps for the first time (provided that Google Play Services are not required).