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Windows 8 apps coming to Xbox One? Microsoft drops hint at Build

Microsoft’s has hinted that apps developed for Windows 8 will also be compatible with the Xbox One games console.

The next-generation games console is built on the Windows 8 architecture, but the company has been tight-lipped so far about the potential for cross compatibility regarding apps developed for Windows 8.

During a session at the company’s Build developer’s conference in San Francisco, Microsoft’s Steve Guggenheimer teased a future where those Windows 8 apps will run natively on Microsoft’s new gaming and entertainment device.

Guggenheimer, the company’s vice president of Microsoft’s Developer & Platform Evangelism group, told attendees to get a head start on building Xbox One apps by embracing Windows 8.

The Verge reports he said:  “Xbox one has two engines, it’s got a gaming engine and it essentially has a Windows 8 engine,”

“[There’s] Nothing to announce today, but when I talk about that common core you’re seeing that common core in action, being able to target other devices devices over time that run the Windows 8 engine.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Windows 10

“If you want to know about how to get a head start about thinking about developing for Xbox One, the logical thing to do is go build Windows 8 applications.”

Microsoft has been making a concerted effort to harmonise its experiences for developers lately, but most of that talk has centred around the potential cross-platform apps for Windows Phone and Windows 8.

Making apps compatible with Xbox One also would also boost the idea of a unified ecosystem and perhaps give Microsoft a leg up on the Sony PS4.

Which Windows 8 apps would you like to see on the Xbox One? Let is know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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