14 DAY TRIAL // Games based on Unreal Engine 4 can now be launched on Windows 10 as universal apps, as Microsoft has finally added support for this platform recently.
Published on GitHub, the source code is available for all those having an Unreal Engine 4 license and opens the door to more high-quality content that can be released on Windows 10 and available not only on PCs but also on other devices, including here smartphones and Xbox.
“Microsoft has developed Universal Windows Platform (UWP) support for Unreal Engine 4, and has released the source code on GitHub as a fork of Epic Games' UE4 repository. This code is now available to all UE4 licensees under the terms of the UE4 license, which provide for source code redistribution and use,” an announcement posted on the official forums notes.
Ironically, this news comes only a few days after Epic Games’ founder Tim Sweeney blasted Microsoft for the millionth time for trying to kill Steam and offer a closed ecosystem on Windows 10.
“Sneaky Microsoft”
Sweeney claims that, by forcing developers to bring their games on Windows 10 and distribute them through the store, Microsoft is trying to kill Win32 completely, which would ultimately lead to people giving up on Steam and similar gaming platforms.
Tim Sweeney is one of the leading developers of Unreal Engine, so it’s kind of ironic to see his team involved in such an important project, given the fact that he doesn’t agree with Microsoft’s strategy.
“They'll never completely break it, but will continue to break it until, in five years, people are so fed up that Steam is buggy that the Windows Store seem like an ideal alternative. That's exactly what they did to their previous competitors in other areas. Now they're doing it to Steam. It's only just starting to become visible. Microsoft might not be competent enough to succeed with their plan but they are certainly trying,” Sweeney said.
Leaving these odd accusations aside, it’s good to see Unreal Engine 4 with support for UWP, especially because this is Microsoft’s main solution to the lack of apps on modern Windows. CEO Satya Nadella has already said that UWP can’t change everything overnight, so today’s new is probably part of this gradual evolution.