Microsoft CEO reportedly confirms Windows 10 Universal Apps are coming 'soon' to Xbox One

By Jez Corden
last updated

According to a report from Microsoft Insider, Satya Nadella confirmed that universal Windows applications (UWA) are coming soon to the Xbox One.

Satya Nadella reportedly made the confirmation in response to questions at the Madrid dotNet Conference, at which thousands of developers were in attendance.

The Xbox One was updated with the capabilities to run universal Windows 10 apps last year with the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE). In addition to the new Avatars app, which appears to be a Universal Windows Application, the NXOE briefly offered a glimpse of Cortana running on Xbox One — showing that Windows 10 convergence is truly on the cards.

According to Microsoft Insider, Satya fell short of answering where UWAs would appear on the Xbox One, leaving us to wonder whether the Xbox One will simply receive the full Windows 10 Store, or receive more strict curation processes as is currently the case. Either way, the report should be encouraging to independent Windows app developers, who have so far been unable to put their apps onto the Xbox One.

Beyond some fan favorite third-party Windows 10 apps like Readit, Baconit, Tweetium, and (ahem) Windows Central (opens in new tab) — it opens up the possibility of accessing Office Mobile, and other light computing apps via your console. Xbox head Phil Spencer recently re-confirmed that Microsoft is working on bringing mouse support to the Xbox One, which would further the usability of UWAs like Word and Excel although Edge for Xbox One functions fairly well while using your Xbox controller joystick as a cursor.

Full Windows app support for the Xbox One creates all sorts of possibilities for the console and gives it another powerful differentiator in its battle with Sony's PlayStation 4.

Source: Microsoft Insider

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

81 Comments
  • Good
  • Mytube! Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10
  • That means that we will be able to use this app with our xboxone?
  • Hopefully, soon. 
  • That's awesome! I am super excited to port my applications to the Xbox One. The idea of keyboard and mouse support with the apps on Xbox One would be very cool as well. Zachary Bowling - ZAD Apps
  • He needs to confirm that he cares about windows phone and stop releasing all of the cool items on iOS and Android only. Like the curved one one handed use keyboard for iOS and the new hub keyboard for Android. We don't have either of them.
  • This ^ My wife's Android phone gets OneDrive, Outlook updates every few days and apps look much better they ever looked in Windows Phone 8.1. Right now I'm not getting Windows 10 mobile device since I'm waiting for Islandwood to be official and get better apps on the Windows 10 mobile platform.
  • FYI, the Hub keyboard sucks. It doesn't have Wordflow, nor does it even autocorrect typos. I can't even double tap the space bar to end a sentence. As far as other MS apps on Android, the grass isn't as green as people make it out to be. I don't know why people go on about this because I hate it. The OneDrive experience is basically the same (at least for my usage), Office is slightly worse (again, based on my usage), and the Groove app is a total joke. Plus, it's Android, so the rest of the experience outside of the MS apps is terrible. Unfortunately I'm stuck with Android for now because there's an app that I need that isn't on Windows, but if the dev ever brings the app to Windows, I'll head back in a heartbeat. I can't stand this OS.
  • I have the S6 edga and I can't stand the OS also. The S6 is for work but I added all the Microsoft apps I have on my 929 and you're right.. I'm not impressed. The experience is much better even with the bugs on W10m.
  • I doubt he has ever used a Windows phone as his daily driver.
  • Like authenticator...
  • Can't wait
  • Soon™
  • I wish they would stop using the word soon
  • They will, soon.  
  • I see what you did there...!
  • I mean, what company doesn't annouce something and say it's coming soon? The Movie business must totally pi$$ you off. Comming soon to a theater near you.
  • Soon jajaja
  • Its raining soons.
  • Nice! Wait.... there's an Xbox event tomorrow isn't there? Would be nice hear/see more about it then.
  • That event is under NDA until March 1st (tuesday)
  • Can't wait until I can tell my boss I need another Xbox One to do my work on!
  • Really cool news, can't wait to see how it turns out.
  • You need to remember that the head of xbox said that doesn't make sense to put office on the xbox. The fact that xbox will suport mouse and keyboard doesn't mean that the xbox will have office. I support that MS curate the apps on the xbox. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Why doesn't it make sense for Office to be present on Xbox? If you haven't got your laptop around it could be useful
  • You can use offical allready lol
  • Coming soon... Yay!
  • "Soon".  Oh boy.  Been hearing that for a "long" time.  On a side note, that featured graphic makes me yearn for the original Xbox One dashboard.
  • Soon™
  • I like to imagine a future where I have an xbox in the living room and a windows phone with continuum in my office.  I run all my apps from the phone as if I had a standard computer, but when I open something that's graphically intensive, say a game or photoshop or something, it seamlessly streams it across the LAN from my xbox.
  • Neat idea, but the One is going to be under powered to do all that...mine stutters just trying to open My Stuff (the dashboard)!! You'd have to have something HIGHLY optimized.
  • Is Minecraft ever going to be an universal app? In early 2015 I purchased Minecraft Mobile edition for my Lumia device. I lost my phone, but I have a tablet with Windows 10 and need to pay for the Windows app Minecraft app. This is not good, Minecraft should be a universal app, if you pay for it on a mobile phone, you shouldn't be asked to pay for the Windows 10 version of the app. 
  • Yes. Soon
  • How about the Premium apps like Android and IOS?  
  • Awesome Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10
  • But no SFV
  • No one cares.
  • If xbone get full app store MS basically kill half the PC OEM, who need a consumer PC from bestbuy when you can have xbone with office and full app store.
  • Not really, since Xbox One will be still limited running Universal Apps, which is still pretty limited at the moment even it will be a full Windows Store. Also chances are not all Universal apps will be available to Xbox One, especially how the UX of many of those apps are not well designed for gamepad controller.
  • Is this the big reveal though hope there's more at the Xbox conference or whatever too! Also I do think it a great thing what's stopping ps4 from getting android apps not even a fan but Sony will do something
  • I don't believe that the apps will be curated. I think it will come alongside Bluetooth mouse and keyboard support and it will be called Continuum for Xbox.
  • That actually make sense. Continuum for Xbox is likely as a new major feature to run non-Xbox-optimized Universal Apps. Its still a question if they intent to make Xbox as a desktop computer or they simply make the console just more flexible at best.
  • That would be better. quality is more important then quantity after all seeing as were in a slightly better position unlike other MS ecosystems. I'd hate for it to become roku
  • So Microsoft is making desktops now. Cool.
  • Yes. :)
  • Kodi app for Xbox One pleaz! ;)
  • We already have its spin-off plex
  • Plex on Xbone is crap. Its just a thin client that needs to connect to a Plex server running elsewhere to function. Kodi is a full-fledged media player.  
  • +1 Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I have a compute stick with Windows 10 plugged in the HDMI-IN port on the Xbox One and have Kodi installed on it for all my media needs. The best $70 add-on you could buy for your Xbox One.
  • They can't even finalise preview app launched a year ago (wireless display) so please, stop joking with your customers MS
  • Not the dreaded 'coming soon' speech.
  • Great I want either tube cast or mytube. I wanna get rid of ****** official u tube app.
  • Did you miss something?  Universal Apps were announced and would be available on ALL Windows 10 devices over a year ago.  From phones to Xbox One and HoloLens.  ALL Windows 10 devices means all.
  • Did YOU miss something? Xbox is currently a W10 device, and universal apps aren't available for it. 
  • Technically it is. If you're in the preview, you can see the build version has TH2 written in there.
  • Doesn't mean all will make the certification cut. Keep in mind hardcore xbox users are a fickle bunch so if MS doesn't make strict requirements ui/performance it could backfire
  • Apps, yes... Office, seriously? =s
  • SoonTM = Build 2016 or E3 2016.
  • SoonTM = Build 2016 or E3 2016.
  • Soon
  • Will this door swing both ways? Windows 10 currently lacks Amazon Video and Vudu apps, but they are on Xbox One.  
  • No reason to(yet) when you've got ie11
  • The browser players are awful, especially Vudu. Poor video and no bitstreamed audio.  
  • It likely will, but possibly not in the short term. Once UWP apps run on the Xbox older Durango apps will be deprecated. There will be a grace period when updates to those apps are allowed but longer term they will go away completely (I'm sure their "partners" who paid a hundred grand to get their video streaming apps on the Xbox One are super excited about that :P). Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10
  • Patience is a virtue.... They need to drop this to cement the whole OneCore experience for Windows 10 Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10
  • I have just started integrating Xbox Controller support into my UWP app, it is not a simple task, and has required me to re-write and create a lot of code.
    The problem is, you can't just create an event handler to listen for Xbox Controller button presses, you have to create a Timer that will check for changes of anything on your controller every 10ms or so, and then Invoke something if something changes.
  • Haha, I've done implemented this too in a testing UWP app. It may not make sense to app developers, but it does to game developers. In a game, you typically have an endless loop rendering game images based on numerous things, but mostly the input you get from the device and whatever generated objects there are on screen. This is why the loop is needed to get controller input, it's designed for games.
  • "SOON" Favourite word in Microsoft's camp !!!
  • Bring my Steam library to the One, if you want to impress me.
  • I hate how things like this always get pulled back to boring MS stalwarts like Word and Excel. Universal apps can be massive for the Xbox One; streaming apps would be so much easier for individual TV studios to get done for all windows devices. Windows Store games like Hitman Go can be released universally. Spotify. It'll make it much easier to keep in competition to Apple TV. I have no problem with Office being in there somewhere but it really doesn't need promoting and the average consumer will be put off by it.    
  • I can't understand why CBS All Access isn't on Xbox One yet. Have to switch to the Roku to watch.
  • Give me family timers back please!!!
  • Yes, oh gosh yes.  I have to control this with DD-WRT and home autiomation shutting off electricity to the outlet.  such a step backwards
  • Great news!
  • Does anyone know if you will be able to use Cortana with a headset/mic or will you have to use the Kinect?
  • I really hope they filter apps for XBOne very tightly. Only AAA and 5* titles should be allow. The last I want to see onmy XB One is a bunch of dead apps. I see enough of that on my phone and desktop. The XB One should be all about a premium experience. Nothing less will do.
  • Emulators... Please!
  • But, no sign of windows 10 for phones.
  • You mean SOON like Windows 10 mobile in 2015... Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Ok I'm happy to hear about this, but honest question: What does "reportedly confirmed" mean? That's kind of an oxymoron.