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[memoryman3]

2025 in review: How we elevated the Microsoft Store experience

2025 was a meaningful year for the Microsoft Store on Windows, with more than 250 million monthly users discovering a Microsoft Store that feels more personalized, helpful and delightful to use. We welcomed exciting new arrivals to the st

blogs.windows.com

2025 was a meaningful year for the Microsoft Store on Windows, with more than 250 million monthly users discovering a Microsoft Store that feels more personalized, helpful and delightful to use. We welcomed exciting new arrivals to the store, including innovative productivity tools like Raycast, Noteastic and Cephable, fan-favorite games like Fortnite, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, accessibility apps like DotVista, and standout apps such as RunCat 365 and Adobe Premier Elements 2026. We also expanded in partnership with Tencent the catalog in China with mini apps and games, such as Rednote, Kaipanla and Fire to the Zombies, bringing even more choice to customers around the world

We continued to invest in our fundamentals – including:

• Quicker Navigation: The Store app launches faster than before, thanks to performance improvements we made earlier this year. And moving between departments in the Store is now noticeably faster, thanks to new updates rolling out in December.

• Improved Error Handling: Our goal is to ensure you have an error-free experience – but when you do run into issues, we've clarified our messaging to help lead to a resolution. For example, in the past mismatched region settings would block a purchase with an error message. Now, the Store automatically detects the issue and guides you to adjust your region settings, so you can complete your purchase without interruption.

• Uninstallation directly from the Library: This has been a top customer ask in Feedback Hub – now, simply head to the Library, click the three-dot menu for an installed app and click uninstall.

As we move into 2026, our focus remains steady: Continue improving the fundamentals, build experiences that feel thoughtful and keep listening to what you need from the Store.

More information is available here. The load time improvement is something I noticed immediately, and now the Microsoft Store loads faster than even Steam. Coupled with a lack of launcher requirement and full integration with the Xbox experience, could we see the Microsoft Store become the definitive PC storefront in many years time?

 

[DeepEnigma]

The end.

 

[The Cockatrice]

The end.

 

[Durin]

Microsoft Store still blows, and it's even worse than the Xbox App.

The layouts are poorly organized, tons of wasted space, it does a bad job learning what you like, tons of shovelware garbage, gaming there is mixed with mobile game fluff, etc.

Even the update tool when I hit "Update All" will update some apps, and then I have to click it again or them individually for it to actually do the function. Google and Apple aren't much better, but they are better than Microsoft at building a store.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Exciting times to be a Microsoft hater

 

[Sticks]

Exciting times to be a Microsoft hater

 

[Magic Carpet]

The load time improvement is something I noticed immediately, and now the Microsoft Store loads faster than even Steam. Coupled with a lack of launcher requirement and full integration with the Xbox experience, could we see the Microsoft Store become the definitive PC storefront in many years time?

The MS store does load faster than Steam. Something is wrong with Steam this past year. I notice that Steam always looking for updates at startup and takes a long time while doing so.
Clearing the download cache fixes it for a while until downloading a game the startup issue comes back.

I've been playing with the Full Screen Experience on the Steamdeck with Windows installed. It works. Not as quick and fast as the Series consoles but the functionality is there. Still have issues with pausing and resuming games.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Only took them 11 years. Amazing software company.

 

[Three]

The end.

 

[Zacfoldor]

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

They probably just have 50% less people accessing it at the same time lmao.

 

[diffusionx]

they should release a new Xbox controller to celebrate this

 

[Topher]

"elevated"

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[MayauMiao]

Sorry but GFWL left a huge scar on me. I shall continue to ignore MS Store.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

It's impressive how Microsoft has found a way to undo years of progress with Windows Store and PC Game Pass. Terrible experience.

 

[ZehDon]

The Microsoft store is literally used as example by several UI/UX consultants as an example of what not to do.
There's zero reason for it to load as poorly as it does, search as poorly as it does, look as poorly as it does, run as poorly as it does, or provide an experience as poor as it does. Zero.

 

[CobraAB]

 

[MacReady13]

Why anyone would consider using the Xbox store/app on PC when Steam is available is beyond my comprehension. Which makes it all the more baffling that you can now buy many games on the Xbox consoles that are "play anywhere" but why oh fucking why would you want to play them on PC via the Xbox app? I purposely avoid that fucking crap when I'm on PC unless it's for games I purchased on Xbox YEARS ago before I decided to give them the flick (Forza games, Halo and Gears games). Besides, it's so much easier to just buy them on an Xbox console and play them exclusively on an Xbox console which is what they were originally designed for!

 

[winjer]

Windows is much faster and smoother without the MS Store.
It's just complete trash made by code vibers, that have no idea how to make anything work well.

 

[nowhat]

Windows is much faster and smoother without the MS Store.
It's just complete trash made by code vibers, that have no idea how to make anything work well.

I think this applies to most of the "improvements" to Windows lately in general. Take something like "Windows Recall". Anyone (and I mean literally anyone, even with no technological background) could have told them that it was a monumentally stupid idea. Yet, they almost went ahead with it. But I'm hesitant to blame the "vibers" for it. They're just doing what the management tells them to.

 

[falconhoof]

I like the feature where it just stops being able to install anything with some lame error code that tells you nothing, where the solution is to reboot your PC.

Keep it up MS, you're really hitting it out of the park.

 

[memoryman3]

Why anyone would consider using the Xbox store/app on PC when Steam is available is beyond my comprehension. Which makes it all the more baffling that you can now buy many games on the Xbox consoles that are "play anywhere" but why oh fucking why would you want to play them on PC via the Xbox app? I purposely avoid that fucking crap when I'm on PC unless it's for games I purchased on Xbox YEARS ago before I decided to give them the flick (Forza games, Halo and Gears games). Besides, it's so much easier to just buy them on an Xbox console and play them exclusively on an Xbox console which is what they were originally designed for!

Better deals, Microsoft Rewards, Play Anywhere, Cloud Access? You also do not need to install the Xbox App. Just access and manage your downloads through the in-built OS store.

Steam is a pain point for adoption for sure. Should Microsoft once again release first party titles exclusively on their Windows Storefront, PlayStation and Switch?

 

[damidu]

having by-far the worst store on your own frikin os will always be top entertainment, bring on those blog posts

 

[winjer]

The MS store does load faster than Steam. Something is wrong with Steam this past year. I notice that Steam always looking for updates at startup and takes a long time while doing so.
Clearing the download cache fixes it for a while until downloading a game the startup issue comes back.

I've been playing with the Full Screen Experience on the Steamdeck with Windows installed. It works. Not as quick and fast as the Series consoles but the functionality is there. Still have issues with pausing and resuming games.

The MS Store and several other MS apps, are pre-loaded during the Windows boot. And the MS account is logged in during boot as well.
So the time that the time that takes the Store to load, is disguised during the Windows boot.
Meanwhile, Steam has to load after Windows loads, just like all other programs. And then connect to the Steam servers and login.

And you might have problems with your PC, if even downloading on Steam gives you troubles.
I haven't had to clear the Steam cache for any issue, in several years.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Wait a second, they are bragging about Windows Store?

Talk about terminal form of delulu.

 

[Sephimoth]

Only thing MS elevated was xbox fans blood pressure.

Constantly highlighting minor/nothingburger "wins" isn't helping their rep, Release some killer games.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Look at us. Our website works!

 

[MacReady13]

Better deals, Microsoft Rewards, Play Anywhere, Cloud Access? You also do not need to install the Xbox App. Just access and manage your downloads through the in-built OS store.

Steam is a pain point for adoption for sure. Should Microsoft once again release first party titles exclusively on their Windows Storefront, PlayStation and Switch?

Better deals? In what way? Microsoft rewards reward no one anymore. Play anywhere is, again, pathetic when you play on PC sometimes with poor versions of games that are on Steam. Cloud access is also on Playstation. NOTHING Microsoft offers cannot be done almost anywhere else on other platforms and done FAR better in some cases as well. Microsoft should've stuck with consoles for console gaming and PC for PC gaming and kept it like that being their sole focus. They tried to be too much for too few and have effectively ruined everything.

 

[Idleyes]

I've lost count of how many times I've clicked Steam, Game Pass, Epic, and even GOG's Icon. But I know exactly how many times I clicked the Windows Store Icon in all of 2025. Zero.