Windows Store versions of games have limitations due to UWP framework
The Windows Store versions of games are limited in the options and possibilities, according to a comparison between the Steam and Windows Store version of Rise of the Tomb Raider. According to developer Nixxes, with Rise of the Tomb Raider, this is due to the UWP framework.
The Universal Windows Platform framework is Microsoft’s application architecture that enables development for both Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10. It supports development in C++ and C#, among others. With Microsoft’s renewed focus on bringing games to PC, UWP has expanded to simplify development for Windows 10 and Xbox One as well. However, this comes with limitations that other PC versions of games do not have.
Rise of the Tomb Raider players quickly learned that the Windows Store version of the game has limitations that the Steam version does not. The version in Microsoft’s app store is a universal application based on UWP for the Windows Store. As a result, it is not possible in the Windows Store version to use multiple video cards by means of sli or Crossfire. Also, borderless windowed is mandatory when playing the game. While that’s a much-loved option, making it mandatory isn’t optimal, as there are situations where a full-screen mode is beneficial.
Also, in the UWP variant of Tomb Raider, vsync is always on. Vsync is intended to prevent screen tearing, but it also affects performance, increasing input lag. In the Steam version, the player can choose to enable or disable the feature. For the Windows Store version, that choice for the player has already been made. Nixxes, the studio behind the PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider, admitted on the Steam forum that the Windows 10 UWP framework does not support disabling the option.
Other limitations mentioned are that the games cannot be opened via the .exe file, mouse macro software does not work, and it is not possible to keep track of the frame rate with external programs. These restrictions include the inability to play with a Steam controller, mods will not work with the games, and programs such as Nvidia Control Panel and AMD’s Catalyst Control Center will not be affected.
On the GameSpot forum, user ‘Evil_Spike’ reports that the beta of Fable Legends also suffers from the limitations. In combination with the information Nixxes gave, the problem seems to be with the Windows Store versions and therefore with the UWP framework.
Some games will only come out on the Windows Store on PC. Quantum Break would initially only be released for the Xbox One, but later Microsoft announced that it would also bring the game to Windows 10. The UWP framework makes it easier to develop games for both console and PC. However, while it is possible for games like Tomb Raider not to be affected by the restrictions by purchasing the Steam version, this is not an option for Quantum Break and games that will be available exclusively on the Microsoft app store.
It is not only the limitations for the games that are criticized. According to the users, the Windows Store is not stable when downloading and there is no return policy for games. Steam itself only introduced a return policy last year. Furthermore, games purchased in the Windows 10 Store can only be used on Windows 10. If a game is purchased on Steam, the player also gets access to the version for Linux or Mac, if the game is available for that.