Friday, February 26th 2016
Windows Store Games won't have VSync, SLI/CrossFire, Fullscreen or Modding
Microsoft is looking to cut itself a lion's share of the game digital downloads pie, by making Microsoft Store (which comes included with Windows 10), sell contemporary AAA games, such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider." Unlike other cross-DRM transactions (eg: purchasing a Steam DLC game through UPlay store), Microsoft Store will serve both sales and DRM roles. You must be thinking "it's a free world, always room for more competition," right? Think again. There are several pitfallls to buying "Rise of the Tomb Raider" or any other AAA game through Microsoft Store, as users on Reddit found out.
To begin with, games purchased through Windows Store are built on Microsoft's Universal Apps Platform, and not the conventional desktop-based executable. The game is essentially a "modern UI" app, and not a conventional Windows application. This has great limitations - no NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFire support; no real fullscreen mode (just borderless windowed mode or pseudo-fullscreen); and V-sync being always-on. Other major downsides of UAP apps include no support for modding, and mouse macros. What's more, since UAP apps don't have *.exe extensions, you can't add them to Steam, and so no Steam Controller support. The Store in itself doesn't have a good refund policy along the lines of Steam and Origin limited full-refund policies; and you'll never be able to play your games on Windows versions older than Windows 10.
Source:
Reddit
To begin with, games purchased through Windows Store are built on Microsoft's Universal Apps Platform, and not the conventional desktop-based executable. The game is essentially a "modern UI" app, and not a conventional Windows application. This has great limitations - no NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFire support; no real fullscreen mode (just borderless windowed mode or pseudo-fullscreen); and V-sync being always-on. Other major downsides of UAP apps include no support for modding, and mouse macros. What's more, since UAP apps don't have *.exe extensions, you can't add them to Steam, and so no Steam Controller support. The Store in itself doesn't have a good refund policy along the lines of Steam and Origin limited full-refund policies; and you'll never be able to play your games on Windows versions older than Windows 10.
91 Comments on Windows Store Games won't have VSync, SLI/CrossFire, Fullscreen or Modding
Let me guess "This is for the PC gamers, we mean it this time, really!"
I guess MS just wants to pump Xbox exclusive into their store and hope it works out on its own. Also, Steam Controller will work just fine.
My priority when buying games:
GOG > Steam > Origin
I'm not touching UPlay garbage and neither I'll be ever touching this crap.
But I did had to modify GTA IV with xliveless to get it working because of a dead stupid GFWL which made the game unplayable.:shadedshu:
Sadly still 20 some years and no replacement for MS OS, what a shame. But i guess it's finally getting there as i know i would drop MS OS in a heat beat.
Shame really as I was going to buy Gears of War Ultimate Edition and Quantum break from them but not now though.
I will also buy Rise of The Tomb Raider from STEAM instead.
How stupid is Microsoft??? Seems they just can't help themselves.
Listen to your customers or pay the price. Simple as.
V-sync being required is likely a condition that stems from Surface and the like. V-sync stops the hardware from running hot/high battery drain because the GPU only does what is necessary. The same extends to consoles so, universal apps require universal agreement on framerate caps.
Windows Store is a walled garden so no mods/third party extensions being forbidden is not surprising. I'm sure it could do it but Windows Store likely validates the program before launching so security features forbid modification.
Granted, it could be years down the line, but it's worth keeping an eye on.