Windows 11 finally takes the Microsoft Store seriously with the addition of Edge

Microsoft seems to be taking the Microsoft Store more seriously in Windows 11. Web browser, Microsoft Edge, It’s available now In the new store, which marks a change from the past where the company’s main apps were not available in its App Store.

While Microsoft Edge is already pre-installed in both Windows 11s, there is an important milestone Microsoft just achieved in today’s news. Edge is now the first official Microsoft Win32 app that you can get on Windows 11 from the Microsoft Store. Previously, all Microsoft apps in the Store were either traditional Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) or Universal Windows Apps (UWP).

This availability shows that Microsoft is setting a new standard, and is taking seriously making it easier for developers to download more traditional apps on Windows 11. It also delivers on Microsoft’s promise to make more other Win32 apps available in Windows 11. Its store, such as Microsoft Teams and Visual Studio (which Not yet launched).

However, installing this version of Edge in the Store will not help much. In my testing, it will just redownload Edge, then open and take you back to the current navigation section. This is because Edge is already pre-installed on Windows, without the need to download it separately. This list just shows how easy it is to discover Win32 applications. You will no longer need to open a web browser and can start searching directly in the store itself.

outside of Microsoft, Other developers have already started downloading Win32 apps from Windows 11 Microsoft Store. Previous examples include the popular OBS Studio streaming app, as well as Adobe’s popular PDF reader, Acrobat DC.

Developers should proceed now

Microsoft is also working to support Android apps in the Microsoft Store through the Amazon Appstore. The company has not yet introduced this feature, but many Windows users are already worried, considering side loading Otherwise incompatible applications.

You can find Microsoft Edge today in the Windows 11 Microsoft Store by searching for “Microsoft Edge.” Interestingly, the application was released as “Microsoft Corporation II”, possibly as a way to separate other Microsoft menus and display new Microsoft Win32 applications.