Microsoft has now added support for making Unreal Engine 4 games on the UWP Windows 10 platform. The code is now available for all Unreal Engine 4 licensees.
The announcement was made on the official Unreal Engine forums (via MSPU) by Microsoft tech evangelist Dave Voyles:
Microsoft has developed Universal Windows Platform (UWP) support for Unreal Engine 4, and has released the source code on GitHub as a fork of Epic Games' UE4 repository. This code is now available to all UE4 licensees under the terms of the UE4 license, which provide for source code redistribution and use.
This project is community-supported, with periodic updates from Microsoft's Xbox Advanced Technology Group (ATG) to help accelerate game development for UWP.
You will need to sign up for both GitHub and the Epic program to access the source code. The instructions are available on the Unreal Engine forums.
Get the Unreal Engine 4 UWP source code and docs at GitHub
Ironically, Epic's Tim Sweeney, who is the lead developer of Unreal Engine, has been slamming Microsoft and its UWP Windows 10 platform for the past few months, claiming that Microsoft will use it to eventually make Windows a closed system. Indeed, in a recent interview with Edge magazine, Sweeney upped the crazy level, claiming that Microsoft was going to "force-patch Windows 10" so Valve's popular Steam download service would become "progressively worse and more broken" over the next five years.
Reader comments
Unreal Engine 4 adds UWP Windows 10 support (don't tell Tim Sweeney)
Tim Sweeney is just butt hurt because he knows Steam is going to get some serious competition. With all the cross platform and open sourcing Microsoft are doing its more than likely UWP apps will come to other platforms giving developers good cross platform development that integrates with MS services no doubt.
tim sweeney is a wanna be hipster who tries to hate big corp to look like a rebel. He also tries copy what gabe newell says so that he can get a copy of half life 3 early when it comes out but it never will. Gabe tells him to hate MS and he does the same.
Valve have had a massive monopoly with Steam, and the competition from the Windows Store could definitely help them improve on their weaknesses. Competition is never a bad thing for the consumer.
This Tim Sweeney guy sounds like a bit of a putz.
Sweeney's just worried that MS is stealing his idea of sabatage to others. Which of course is not true.
I love it when they say that UWP will fail, then they say it will overtake Steam.
I think you are kind of taking it out of context, what he is saying is, if they are successful than Steam and all other stores or 3rd parties would not be able to distribute software. I am not sure they even have to be successful, meaning what is Windows itself making today? It's a diminished revenue stream either voluntarily or involunarily or a combination of both. Its really a similar situation as IBM in the late 80s/early 90s, meaning do you let the revenue of legacy go or not. As far as Tim, if Windows goes closed system, he and other storefronts or other distribution paths will not exist. Its not really about Steam, its about the ability to freely install what you want, how you want, without permission.... this would not only effect Steam but any current way of installing software to the PC. Sure that is true today you can do it.... but that only covers today.
My guess is the current store will fail just as the last store (Win8) and the store before that, Games for Windows Live failed, but that is not a fact, but regardless that does not mean MS won't continue to push away from legacy because Windows really has limited ability to sustain it revenue stream solo, in my opinion. Right now MS is not stuck in a particular path to a closed system, however, I do believe they will continue down a path to that end. Why? There simply is limited revenue for win32 support in Windows... its all about services and getting people on the service.
That guy is just an attention wh*re... I never heard about him before he started talking sh*t about UWP :D
Tim Sweeney is one..Forbes's Gordon Kelly is another..
Oddly the Github repository is now offline. I wonder if Tim found out
You have to be a part of the public EpicGames team at GitHub.
Exactly. It's mostly because of Steam that there is still games on PC. I don't think Microsoft would break Steam. I don't see AAA coming in the form of UWP soon. If he's not happy with Windows, he could cut ties and develops on SteamOS instead and help make Linux the new gaming platform. But hey some people just whines and do nothing.
It would be a financially disastrous move to make Unreal Engine exclusive to Linux and drop support for Windows as well as most game consoles.
I know. He could still be on consoles at least PS/4. Maybe he's vocal because he's selling less licences than before and he is scared of loosing in the Windows platform. Hope the code made by Microsoft help calm him.
did you miss, Gears of War? Tomb Raider? Killer Instinct? Quantum Break? did you miss that many of the new XBox One games will be play anywhere which means they would be on Windows Store too? 3rd party publishers will eventually join, would be silly not to, Especially when Anniversary Update will have the Desktop to UWP converter. you might say "it is not universal" but it's the store and it is obvous to expect AAA games won't become truly universal apps since it's a waste of time to optimize them to phones. But they are coming, and Windows Store will be used more and more by people and Steam or Epic cant stop it, becuase of exclusive games like GoW or Forza etc, but because some features 3rd party developers can do on universal windows platform that they can't do on normal win32.
Also he complains because he has some power on gaming industry, but they won't leave Windows. because it's the most powerful and with most userbase desktop operating system, and windows 10 is used almost by 50% of people on Steam. so Steam and Tim can complain their own ways about Windows 10 and store, but you can even side load apps, not even need to be in store to use them. and little by little Windows will be more about UWP even if those apps aren't exactly on the store, like it works now. download package double click and install.
Plus, right click and uninstall rather than going through the tedious process in the old control panel.
Yeah, I am confused as to why people are angry at him, I mean to me the whole sitation goes like this.
Tim: "Microsoft is trying to convert Windows into a closed platform"
Me: "Duh, common sense"
Internet: "Tim is crazy"
Me: "How exactly is MS going to make billions off Windows when people really don't even want to upgrade for free? You know there is this thing called greed right?"
Windows at this point is or has been, either voluntarily or involuntarily been diminished as a money making revenue stream, it just a matter of when MS pulls legacy support not if. Very similar to what IBM was experiencing decades ago.
Linux has a 2% PC market share. That would be like Pokémon Go only on W10M.(No offense, just making a point.) I literally know no one with Linux.
He does realize that doing that to Steam would be one of the worst things they could do.. Right?
I don't get it, why tim hate windows 10, future game that take advantages of directX12 will sell well on steam. Indeed we got windows store and UWP only avaiable to modern apps, but win32 program still there, existing steam user will always go to steam and they will attract more user.
Sweeney is against any technology that means a user may buy a game on a platform other than his. It's strictly about money. With that quote he has really gone off the deep end, into conspiracy theory territory. Can you imagine the headlines if it was found that MS had done ANYTHING to impact Steam in a negative way? Make no mistake, it would be found. Even if you are one of those people that for some reason cannot trust MS and understand the changes that have taken place with them, they would never do it for this reason alone.
Sweeney isn't part of Valve/Steam
Anyone told him you can sideload apps and are not forced to use the Store? I guess not right
He and everyone else know that, that's not what he's saying, you're misunderstanding it. He's saying with what they're doing having this app store he thinks it's GOING TO get more closed as a platform in the FUTURE.
Possibly dumb question: is this compatible with ARM devices? Could we theoretically see this on WIndows 10 Mobile?
You still needs to build it for ARM. The UWP is an API + the package, and it can contain multiple platforms (x86 and ARM).
Now, if UE4 builds and runs on ARM, then yes.
It does, but there might still be issues with the W10 specific build. I can't be bothered to chech. If it does have problems though, I expect MS to sort it out quite *soon.
"progressively worse and more broken"
Love this quote. So he is claiming that Steam is bad and broken, but has a conspiracy theory that Microsoft is going to make it even more bad and broken. Way to give us confidence in your own service.
Steam is not his service, also Steam does not have to be broken to get progressively more broken. Honestly, I have the same fear as him, by I think his timescale is a bit more pessimistic than mine
How to force UWP games or other games downloaded from the Store to use dedicated graphic card?
Can't seem to find the option in the game or in the graphic card's control panel.
Now if they can add support for valve engine...
Valve could do that on their own. Probably won't though.
Who is Tim Sweeney? Honest question. HA.
Honest answer: it's in the article.
lol
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
link doesnt work
Try pronouncing Tim Sweeney's last name a bit differently. remove the 'y' and replace the 'ee' in the middle with a 'i'.
You have successfully understood his name now.
Lol swine
LOL
I don't think Valve needs any help to make Steam "progressively worse and more broken."
Why would you say that?
Because he's never used it and anything not made by Microsoft - or worse, competes with Microsoft - is automatically terrible and broken.
or maybe you are just talking crap and can't think that only becuase it works for you, it doesnt mean Steam has worked him at some point and he doesnt want to deal with it?
I don't like Steam but guess what? I dont have problems using other stores uplay, gog, origin... so again, maybe you should stop pretending Steam is your god and it is the only store available on Windows. Plus Steam people talk crap about Windows 8\10, make a linux pathetic version (wasting time and resources on that crap), thinking they are the kings of PC gaming so they can do whatever they want. I lost more interest after that, I would rather not to play a game if it's only on Steam, and find better games on other places which are not even on Steam, some that would never even go to Linux crap Steam and will exist only on Windows or consoles. because using Steam is helping them grow their ego, and I am fine without it.
Instead of selling others games, Valve should release Half Life 3, and maybe a new portal game too. :D They should work for their money :D
>Linux crap
Alright, from the top, this time without pointless insults.
Insults ? Linux IS crap ... and Valve should thank Microsoft/Windows for what they have built ...
Or because they don't do anything to improve the service. They have no real competition, so they became lazy as hell... :D
Well, other that the fact that Steam is a bloated piece of crap?
I mean, you know you're doing a bad job when even Origin does a better job at it's main function -- launching games -- than you. But that might be because, unlike other store apps, it tries to do everything, and ends up not really doing anything well.
Oh, wait, my mistake, Steam's main function is selling you games, not actually making it easier to play them.
Although I'm not a fan of Valve I've personally found that Steam has improved over the years.
Crush them valve!
Yeah because competition is bad... WOW!