Microsoft launches new Web App Store for Windows

Microsoft has launched a new web version of its App Store for Windows. It is designed as a replacement for the existing way of finding Windows apps on the web, which opens links to sites in the Microsoft Store client on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

The software giant has removed its old React codebase from its previous web version of the Microsoft Store and replaced it with a modern web version that uses Shoelace, Lit, Vite, and a C# ASPNET backend.

"The old site was a React codebase built on an obsolete UI framework," explains Microsoft engineer Judah Gabriel in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “We created a fresh user experience with a thoughtfully designed interface, easy ways to discover new apps, and a modern web technology stack. I hope people find it useful.”

The redesigned Web Store now makes it easier to find Windows apps or Xbox PC games that you can download through the main Microsoft Store app on Windows. However, it will not replace the main Microsoft Store app. “Think of it as the web front of the App Store on Windows. They work together,” explains Gabriel.

This new web front could be useful for Microsoft as it looks to expand its apps and games beyond Windows. Xbox chief Phil Spencer revealed earlier this year that Microsoft is building an Xbox mobile gaming store in anticipation of companies like Apple and Google being forced to open their own mobile app stores.

Microsoft's Xbox mobile gaming store could launch as early as 2024, thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act. It will require some type of web interface for discoverability in search results and links on social media networks.