14 DAY TRIAL // During the recent Build 2016 event, Microsoft revealed that it wants to make the Windows 10 operating system more interesting for both game developers and players, but it seems that some traditional PC elements will still be difficult to use on the operating system.
Phil Spencer, who leads the gaming division and is in charge of the Xbox, explained that he wants to make the UWP environment more open when the Anniversary edition of the OS is launched later in the year.
The plan is to add support for both V and G-sync and to offer gamers more options when it comes to playing their video games on Windows 10, but it seems that there are still issues as far as the implementation of mods is concerned.
Microsoft wants to make it very easy to introduce overlays on Windows 10, and those who create them will only have to port their program from the classic Win32 standard to the Universal Windows Application one.
But Spencer tells PC Gamer that it will be hard to allow mods that seek to affect the executable and that the company will implement a Steam Workshop-like system that will mean only those modifications that are approved can be downloaded and used.
The executive adds, "if I actually go in and reorder the code or inject code paths the developer didn’t originally intend, the problem is, I don’t know if that modification is to fix a broken game, or to add some kind of phishing tool to the game so that now it’s capturing my passwords as I’m typing them into Chrome."
Windows 10 - Xbox One integration will increase
During Build 2016 Microsoft also revealed a way for all owners of its current home console to turn it into a development kit, allowing them not only to create video games and applications but also to test them, although the process is still part of the preview program and might have some issues.
The company is also planning to add Cortana as a personal assistant later in the year and will introduce a unified new store that will make it easier for developers to deliver their creations on both platforms.
Microsoft seems determined to make sure that the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs are more integrated than ever, with gamers able to choose which device they want to interact with at any given time.
Spencer also made it pretty clear that his team does not have plans to port titles like Halo 5 and Gears of War 4 to the PC.