Microsoft Xbox One to run full Windows 10 apps this summer

Last year at Microsoft’s Build developers conference, a company representative told Pocket-lint that the switch to a Windows 10-based dashboard for Xbox One would open up the floodgates to “thousands of apps”.

However, the console was updated to Windows 10 in November and we didn’t get the swarm of applications we expected. Instead, the company concentrated on making the platform stable.

Now it seems Microsoft is ready to make good its promise. It has announced that full Windows 10 apps will be able to run on the Xbox One from this summer.

Microsoft made the announcement at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, according to Business Insider.

The announcement also stated that the Xbox Store and Windows Store for apps and content will be merged into one – something we also reported on last May. This makes sense for easy access to everything from one place. We imagine the Xbox specific apps and games will come under their own tab for continued easy access.

READ: How Xbox One backwards compatibility works: The Xbox 360 games list and more

This announcement also means that Windows 10 app developers have an even more attractive reason to develop apps for the platform. It can now reach more people than ever across its various hardware variants, all after building just one version of the app.

The united app platform is great news for Xbox One as it gives it yet another layer of appeal. It’s likely social media, messaging, music, video and streaming apps will be big on the console. If other apps like Microsoft Word make it is not clear. But this, with the option to use a wireless keyboard and mouse, could essentially turn the console into a PC.

Microsoft will hold this year’s Build developer conference on 30 March where more details on this will likely be revealed.

READ: Windows 10 tips and tricks