Microsoft unveiled a major update to its flagship app store with new system integrations, built-in Copilot assistant, and a two-fold increase in launch speed.
G. Ostrov
Microsoft developers continue to actively modernize their flagship digital content store, which serves as one of the key platforms for distributing applications and games for Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. The latest Microsoft Store update brought numerous significant improvements, including new system integrations, a built-in Copilot assistant, and substantial overall performance enhancements.
Search and Recommendation System Modernization
Microsoft announced a complete overhaul of the search functionality in its app store. The company updated the ranking system, which now bases its algorithms on app quality, user ratings, and regional language preferences. These changes should help users find quality products without having to browse through numerous low-quality or irrelevant applications.
The Microsoft Store homepage will now feature personalized recommendations based on users' recent activities and trending content in their region. This should significantly improve the user experience and help discover new useful applications and games.
Artificial Intelligence Copilot Integration
Microsoft continues to actively integrate its AI assistant Copilot into various company products and services, making its appearance in Microsoft Store a logical step. To interact with the bot, users simply need to click on the corresponding icon in the bottom right corner of the store interface.
After activating Copilot, users can get additional information about the applications and games they're viewing, ask questions about their functionality, or receive recommendations. At the current stage, the Copilot button is only available to platform users in the United States, but expansion to other regions can be expected in the near future.
Deep Integration with Operating System
One of the most practical innovations was the integration of Microsoft Store with the Start menu in Windows 11. Users can now search for applications directly through the operating system's start menu. When searching, the system will display the desired app's shortcut, description, screenshot, and a button for immediate installation.
This significantly simplifies the process of finding and installing new software, as users no longer need to specifically open the app store. After finding the needed application through Windows' internal search engine, they can immediately proceed with installation.
Smart Suggestions in File Manager
Products from Microsoft Store will now appear in the "Open with" context menu in Windows' standard file manager. Developers reported that they continue to experiment with suggestions for appropriate applications to open files with various extensions.
This feature may prove especially useful in situations where there's no installed application on the computer capable of correctly opening a specific file type. The system will automatically suggest suitable options from the app store.
Significant Performance Improvement
Microsoft announced substantial improvements in its app store's performance. Thanks to several technical updates, Microsoft Store now launches twice as fast compared to the version from six months ago.
This is a critically important improvement, as slow store loading was one of the main user complaints. Increased speed makes working with the platform more comfortable and may contribute to increased user activity.
Platform Development Prospects
Despite all improvements, Microsoft Store still lags behind competitors like Steam in terms of user experience quality and game library management. However, consistent updates demonstrate Microsoft's serious intentions to transform their store into a competitive platform for digital content distribution.
Official Microsoft Store website: https://apps.microsoft.com
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