Microsoft published a blog post today confirming that developers can now offer ARM packages to the Windows 10 desktop device family. The company also noted that it's recently added the ability to offer an app to Surface Hub users, which runs a variant of the OS known as Windows 10 Team.
The way that UWP works is that it's one app that works on all device types. With responsive design, the same app can run on a phone, a PC, or a gaming console. And with the addition of the Fluent Design System, the same app can be run in 3D environments as well, such as Windows 10 Holographic and Windows Mixed Reality.
These apps are compiled in separate packages for different processor architectures, so there will be one for x64, one for x86, and one for ARM. The Microsoft Store automatically distributes the one that corresponds to your device type.
But developers can also target different device families via the Windows Dev Center. For example, if you leave the Xbox box unchecked, users won't be able to download your app on the console.
The main change that was announced today is that ARM packages will now be distributed for Windows 10 desktop devices. This is meant for the new Windows 10 S PCs made by HP, ASUS, and Lenovo, that use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipsets. Using emulation, they can run x86 apps, but performance will still be better with an app that runs natively on ARM.
6 Comments - Add comment