Report: Microsoft To Open Up Xbox One App Development

The Xbox One contains a few apps to accompany the main gaming experience. However, only a few developers can actually create apps for the Xbox One, but that might change in the upcoming months.

Sources told The Verge that Microsoft plans to announce a new strategy at its Build Developer Conference in April that will open the door for more app development. Specifically, it will allow developers to turn a retail Xbox One into a development kit. After the Build Developer Conference, a preview of the SDK will be released in May, with the full package arriving during the summer months.

Two of the big features on the new developer kit include the chance to beta test apps within the Xbox community and the ability to run apps in the background. Beta-testing with the Xbox community will no doubt give devs plenty of hot, fresh feedback. Gamers should be happy with the background app capabilities; it's important, mainly for those who want to stream music from another source instead of using the in-game soundtrack.

The report comes just a few weeks after Microsoft showed off a new preview of Windows 10, which includes universal apps that are used and synchronized across multiple devices. For Xbox users, Windows 10 allows streaming of any Xbox title onto a device running Windows 10. PC gamers can also join Xbox players in certain games such as Fable: Legends.

Giving more developers access to the Xbox One development kit can open up new avenues of integration between the console and a Windows 10 device. However, it remains to be seen if the move will actually attract more app developers to the console.

Follow Rexly Peñaflorida II @Heirdeux. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

  • JOSHSKORN
    Add support for InfiniTV 6 ETH and I'll be happy.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    Add support for InfiniTV 6 ETH and I'll be happy.

    If they open up app development, that would be up to the manufacturer to provide an app, yeah?
    Reply
  • josephstalin
    I don’t know that "apps" will have full access to the hardware the way that full Xbox games do though. I certainly don’t think it will be a true PC experience. And I doubt they are going to bother with Windows backward compatibility the way they do on PC’s so don’t expect to load up your old copy of Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 on it.

    I accept I could be totally wrong though.


    http://www.casperon.com/mobile-application-development/
    Reply