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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.