Xbox One Expected To Get Universal Apps This November With Windows 10, SDK/Dev Switch in May & Music In Background Also Coming

We already know that the Xbox One will be getting support for Universal Apps this year with the Windows 10 upgrade for Xbox One, however we now have a better time-frame for this. Microsoft will also be talking about games development for Xbox One and Windows 10 devices during its GDC panels, however that doesn’t include apps. This is because Microsoft will be telling the App story at its Build Developer Conference this April where it will share plans about Universal Apps that run on Xbox One, Phones, Tablets, Desktops, Laptops, IoT’s and so forth. Microsoft already showed universal apps running on Xbox One back at Build 2014 last year and has re-assured the feature many times at various Windows 10 events.

Today, ‘The Verge‘ have reported that this May, Microsoft will allow Xbox One users to use their Xbox One retail unit as a developer kit. Microsoft announced this feature with the ID@Xbox program in August 2013 but have kept quiet about it ever since. The Verge also reports that developers will be able to beta test apps with the community and that apps can run in the background which will allow third-party music apps to continue playing music while a game is being played. This feature will also be coming to Xbox Music on the console, a highly requested feature of Microsoft’s “all-in-one” system.

Today’s Xbox One Apps and Universal Apps are different. The current apps on the Store will continue to run on the system with Windows 10, however Universal Apps will be the focus starting this November. In November, developers can publish apps to the Xbox One Universal App Store built on the new SDK. The certification process will be streamlined so to be similar to what’s found on the Windows Store, if not identical. I believe that certification will be equal across every device that runs Windows 10 including the Xbox One.

With Build in April, Microsoft will go into full detail of Universal Apps on the Xbox One. I expect with the SDK in May, Microsoft will have developers ready to build apps throughout the Summer to be ready for the November launch of the Universal Apps. I also believe Microsoft is working on a ‘OneStore’, the one universal games and apps store for all Windows 10 devices from Phones, Tablets, Xbox One’s, Desktops and so forth. I believe the ‘Store (Beta)’ on the Windows 10 January Technical Preview is this ‘OneStore’ concept. I also expect that ‘Music’ and ‘TV & Movies’ will be added to this ‘OneStore’ powered by Xbox Music and Xbox Video services. Games like ‘Fable Legends’ will also be in this ‘OneStore’ and I’m also expecting that Microsoft will allow a “one purchase, play on every screen” scenario meaning consumers could buy a AAA game once and have it on their PC and Xbox One. Fable Legends is also only one of the first AAA Microsoft Studios games confirmed for Microsoft’s new Windows 10 Store. I wouldn’t be surprised to see ‘Forza Motorsport 6’, ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ and ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ to be announced for Windows 10 devices in the near future. We also know that game-streaming is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10, will Microsoft use that in order to ensure exclusives such as ‘Scalebound’ and ‘Crackdown’ are kept only on Xbox One? It’s possible.

It’s important to note that nothing has been confirmed yet when it comes to timing, certification or SDK’s. However, with everything I heard plus todays reports by ‘The Verge’, it’s clear that Microsoft are heading for a ‘OneStore’ concept across every device running Windows 10.