Microsoft has announced a major new feature of the Microsoft Store, revealing it will be open to third-party stores.

App ecosystems are under increasing scrutiny, with developers and regulators alike taking issue with Apple, and to a lesser extent Google, for not embracing third-party stores.

Microsoft is taking a different approach, announcing its upcoming Microsoft Store will allow third-party stores.

“Our commitment to being an ‘open Store for an open platform’ isn’t just about the various technical underpinnings of how apps are built,” writes Giorgio Sardo, General Manager, Microsoft Store. “It’s also about making sure our business terms are fair and help promote innovation. For instance, the Microsoft Store on Windows no longer requires app developers to share revenue with Microsoft, when apps manage their own in-app payment systems.

“In that spirit, today we’re announcing another significant update to our Microsoft Store on Windows policies, which will allow third-party storefront apps to be discoverable in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Just like any other app, third-party storefront apps will have a product detail page that can be found via search or by browsing – so that users can easily find and install it with the same confidence as any other app in the Microsoft Store on Windows. Today, we are sharing that Amazon and Epic Games will bring their storefront apps to the Microsoft Store over the next few months, and we look forward to welcoming other stores as well in the future.”

Microsoft’s move is sure to put additional pressure on Apple and Google to adjust how they administer their own stores. The new store will launch on October 5 alongside Windows 11.