Windows 10 Technical Preview 2 App Focus: Store (Beta)

Microsoft has never really gotten its Store app right, and while the version in Windows 8.1 was a significant improvement over the original version, it still doesn’t scale properly with the ever-growing Windows Store ecosystem. So in Windows 10, Microsoft is making a new Store app, currently in beta, which will eventually provide access to apps, games, music and videos.

In Windows 10 Technical Preview 2, of course, this app is quite incomplete. So incomplete, in fact, that Microsoft still includes the old Store app—and the old Xbox Music and Xbox Video apps, both of which include integrated stores for their respective content types—in this build. What we’re looking at here is the Store (Beta) app, an early peek at the Store app that will debut in Windows 10. And this version of the app only includes access to Modern apps and games (and not desktop applications, music or videos).

There ain’t much yet. But here’s what you can do right now.

Browse apps and games. The Home view is a gigantic, vertically scrolling user experience with all kinds of charts, categories, and collections, highlighting the top, most recent, and best-rated apps and games.

Search. The Search box is available in the top right of the app in all views.

Dive into apps. Visit the Apps view to discover Modern and universal apps for Windows 10, with groups for staff picks, top free and paid apps, new and rising apps, best-rated apps, featured collections, and of course categories like Business, Lifestyle, Music, Navigation & Maps, and more.

Dive into games. In the Apps view you will find Modern and universal games for Windows 10, with groups for staff picks, top free and paid games, new and rising games, best-rated games, featured collections, and categories such as Educational, Fighting, Platfomer, Shooter, and more.

Learn more about an app or game. Select any app or game to view screenshots, reviews, related apps, a full features list, and more information. And of course, download, buy or try it.

Access your purchased apps and games. Select your little profile picture next to the Search box and then “Purchased” to see all of your purchased apps and games. Currently, this displays on the web (on the Microsoft account web site).

Basically, the point in this build, I think, is to just show off the new universal app user experience and give some hope to those who are currently suffering with the current version. I’m looking forward to updates, and to see whether we can’t get some desktop applications in there.