Microsoft today unveiled the Desktop App Converter, which lets developers bring existing Windows applications to the Windows Universal Platform (UWP). The company is hoping to bring the 16 million existing Win32/.Net applications to the Windows Store.
Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP) allows developers to build a single app that changes based on your device and screen size. One app can work on your Windows 10 computer, Windows 10 tablet, Windows 10 Mobile smartphone, Xbox One console, and eventually HoloLens headset.
Last year at Build, Microsoft unveiled four new Windows Store app types via so-called Bridges. Developers were told they could reuse their Web code, Windows desktop applications (.NET code), Android apps (Java and C++), and iOS apps (Objective C).
Project Centennial, which lets desktop developers package and publish their existing .NET and Win32-based Windows applications to the Windows Store, is still in preview. This converter is part of the same effort.
The best part is that this works for games as well. Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, showed how game developers can port their Windows games (such as existing titles on Steam) to UWP and put them in the Windows Store.