Publish to Microsoft Store

[Madis0]

Role

I play Minecraft

Suggestion

Publish the software to Microsoft Store

Benefit

For more discoverability and ease of use

This suggestion is unique

• I have searched the issue tracker and did not find an issue describing my suggestion, especially not one that has been rejected.

You may use the editor below to elaborate further.

Microsoft Store nowadays allows Win32 programs

You can now bring your traditional desktop apps (Win32 apps) to the store without changing your code, existing .msi, or .exe installation packages, as long as the app is otherwise compliant with store policies (policies available June 28, 2021).

so it is worth considering to host Prism there as well. Maybe the store abilities even allow for easier updates #94?

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-store/

[DragoCubed]

With your suggestion to switch to MSIX and distribute to the Microsoft Store, know that Microsoft does not maintain MSIX much anymore and that migrating to MSIX is more effort for contributors and publishing more releases through MSIX and then to Microsoft Store adds a maintenance toll. Microsoft doesn't fully use MSIX or the Microsoft Store.

There's not much of a point in having a Microsoft Store listing without MSIX. Not enough people use the Microsoft Store for it to be significantly useful for discoverability. Steam or the Epic Games Store could be better distribution methods for discoverability.

Note that some Microsoft Store apps are "preinstalled" as advertisements in the Windows Start Menu and some games are installed from the Xbox app through Xbox Game Pass for PC. These factors will skew metrics.

Considering the deprecation of UWP and the state of MSIX and the Microsoft Store (and Windows development overall), alternative methods should be looked at for updating Prism Launcher.