Microsoft Store app picks up dedicated 'Devices' tab for new PCs and hardware

By Daniel Rubino
published

A new tab for buying Windows devices has appeared in the latest update for Microsoft Store.

It looks like Microsoft isn't done updating the Store with a new layout in anticipation of the Redstone 4 update due in the coming weeks. Besides the recent addition of Edge Extensions, a new category called Devices has been added in the latest update – version 11802.1001.11.0 – which went out earlier today across all releases of Windows 10.

'Devices' as a tab is self-explanatory being a separate area where Microsoft can show off new Windows hardware including Surfaces, Harmon Kardon Invoke (for those in the U.S.), Xbox consoles, PCs from Dell, HP, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and accessories. It's the same catalog that is all stocked online in the web version of the Microsoft Store.

Besides one-click buying of new hardware customers can also pre-order things like the new upcoming See of Thieves Xbox Pro Charging Stand. The process lets you pick a shipping and payment address just like the web store.

The feature of buying devices is not new, per se, but the dedicated tab area for devices is new.

While it's been a long time in the making (arguably too long) the addition of the full www.microsoft.com/store (opens in new tab) to the Windows 10 app of the Store should go a long way in increasing point-of-sales for Microsoft and its OEM partners. This new addition of making it more visible tonight is only better.

We don't know yet if the Devices tab is available in all regions just yet, so its appearance may depend on whether the Microsoft Store online is supported in your country.

Thanks, Daniel Su, for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

23 Comments
  • I think this is a good place to point out that the MSI Trident is 799.00 with a Core I5 processor, 8GB Ram, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD, and a 1060GTX graphics card. It seems like a pretty good deal to me. Does anyone disagree? It's at the bottom in the Desktops and All-In-Ones tab.
  • yep especially when you think about the crypto mining/ram prices
  • Pre-made PC's are the best way to beat crypto mining graphic card prices
  • Thank you.
  • I remember tweeting them to make a dedicated tab for devices before and especially when Music was gone from the store. Good to see it implemented....not that they listened to my feedback but maybe it was in the pipeline and now got pushed. Very glad cuz the store is a favorite and one of my most used apps.
  • I'm running 11802.1001.11.0, and there's nothing here in Australia yet. We have an online (and physical) store in the country.
  • Nothing here in the UK yet, we have an online store and no physical stores in the country.
  • We are supposed to be getting one soon on regent street, london announced sometime in september last year. But there has not been much news about it lately.
  • Honestly I haven't looked in the store for ages. And I feel like it's nice and all to put whatever new categories in the store, but it's just camouflage for what it is lacking. I am 100% sure that al the people at my work who have Windows 10 laptops never looked in the store once. They probably don't even know it exists. Having a store on a desktop/laptop is not a 'thing' in their minds. Microsoft is so bad in advertising/introducing something to people. They have no clue how to guide people towards using something. That's why every product or service is failing.
  • Work computers normally have store disable, no?
  • Some do but some lock it down to a private store (store for business) so you can control which apps are in there. There are alot of companies that completely overlook the store though.
  • I have access to the store, and not a company limited version of it. I have a professional account and a personal account tied to my corporate W10 PC. So I guess it depends of your company and its IT policy.
  • "Microsoft is so bad in advertising/introducing something to people. They have no clue how to guide people towards using something. That's why every product or service is failing."
    People here freaked out when Microsoft auto-pins the Store app to the Task Bar to bring greater attention to it. The more Microsoft put the Store in front of your face, the more the olds around here are going to complain about it. It's a tough problem for Microsoft to solve.
  • There is no "Devices", "Movies & TV", "Books" and even "Extensions for Microsoft Edge" tabs in Ukraine...
  • There are very few peoples in the world that never came across with any format of games whether indoor or outdoor.
    http://xmodandroid.com/
  • As usual, the rest of the world gets left behind. Go Microsoft! :S
  • This makes sense. Maybe even bringing more people to the store. At least a few
  • Hey Microsoft i have a great idea! This may be revolutionary but it will help you, what if you cared for the rest of the world? I know it is weird but if you cared for the rest of the world Windows Phone would've succeed, people in my country would know what an Xbox is and cortana would be a success.
  • Running latest in the USA, and I don't see Extensions or Devices. ?
  • in the Release ring
  • That would make no difference as this is partly backend stuff.
  • it's not new to this release, but in my setup, i can't see the "home", "apps", "game", etc. tabs. for whatever reason, or through whichever system setting, my title bar covers all but the very bottom pixels of the "pp" in apps. i have tried a variety of resolutions, checked through system settings, searched online for answers, all with no luck. any one else have this issue?
  • it's not new to this release (17627), but in my setup, i can't see the "home", "apps", "game", etc. tabs. for whatever reason, or through whichever system setting, my title bar covers all but the very bottom pixels of the "pp" in apps. i have tried a variety of resolutions, checked through system settings, searched online for answers, all with no luck. any one else have this issue?