At long last, Microsoft may have just released a new Windows Store experience that could turn users who have been displeased by the platform to come back and use it.
As noted by Microsoft's Principal Lead Architect Rudy Huynon X, the tech giant has released version 22403 of the Microsoft Store. It's a major update that has been in beta testing with Windows Insiders for the past two weeks and is now rolling out to all Windows 11 users.
The update, which has been rolled out globally to Windows 11 users, will load up much faster than the previous version, according to Huyn's X post. Huyn added that the update will load product pages about 40% faster. Not only that, but the Buy button on product listings will load much more quickly, allowing users to get the apps they want without waiting.
The Microsoft Store (previously known as the Windows Store) has been a fixture on Windows operating systems since Windows 8. However, the Microsoft Store was completely rebuilt for Windows 11, reflecting its importance to Microsoft's broader software strategy.
Indeed, the Microsoft Store is a potential boon for the company. It's the gateway by which users can access just about any application they want (except for Google Chrome, which has remained out of the Microsoft Store because of the ongoing dispute between Microsoft and Google). If they spend money on downloads, Microsoft can generate a share of that revenue.
However, at launch, users complained that the Microsoft Store performed sluggishly and failed to live up to the hype. Microsoft offered updates over time, but the Microsoft Store continued to have problems.
Over the past couple of weeks, however, Windows Insiders have been saying that the Microsoft Store was performing better. Now, with the update they were using now public, it would suggest that all Windows 11 users should see the same result. But as with anything else in software, your mileage may vary.
The new and improved Microsoft Store is available now, so give it a try and see if it's actually as improved as Microsoft claims on your PC.
