Popular social network VKontakte releases official client for Windows 8.1

If you reside in a Russian speaking country, be it Ukraine, Belorussia or Russia itself, VKontakte (or simply VK - vk.com) is quite the important service. Think of it as a localised Facebook. The service had an app available for Windows 8, but this wasn't a fully featured solution and consumers were missing out on a full Modern UI experience. That's set to change with a brand-spanking new app released for Windows 8.1.

To throw some numbers into the picture, over 220 million people have registered profiles and the website itself ranks in second just behind Yandex - the Russian search engine. That's quite the size. So what's the Windows 8.1 app all about and should you download it if you use the social network? The short answer to both questions would be: it's VKontakte in a Modern UI package and yes, you should definitely check this solution out.

Just like some other branded apps available on Windows 8 or Windows Phone, VKontakte has implemented its own design and layout, offering those who login to their accounts an intuitive way to get to the content they seek. Whether you're after the messenger, or simply wish to see what friends have published to the network, it's easy to do in this simply gorgeous UI.

VKontakte

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Since we're talking about Windows 8.1, you've got the multiple-sized Live Tiles available (yes, including the massive ones). There's also 50/50 split screen support, in case you're required to be productive while talking to contacts and browsing around. The VKontakte app for Windows 8.1 is a worthy companion to what we already have on Windows Phone 8.

If you use VKontakte and have tried out the messenger app previously, we strongly urge you to download this new release and see what you think. You can download VKontakte from the Windows Store for free.

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.