New universal Windows apps can run on any Microsoft platform

The holy grail is real: At Wednesday Build conference keynote, Microsoft CVP of operating systems David Treadmill announced that universal apps are coming to the Windows ecosystem, thanks to Windows RunTime coming to Windows Phone 8.1. In other words, developers will be able to write one app using common code and have it work across phones, tablets, PCs, and yes, even the Xbox One—something that Apple and Android can’t claim. 

Microsoft is introducing universal Windows apps, a way for developers to create a single app that works across Windows phones, tablets, PCs, and the Xbox One. “All of us want the same app experiences across all devices,” David Treadwell, a Microsoft operating system executive said while introducing the new type of apps. “Yet today there’s no easy way to create apps that work across all form factors.” That’s changing within Microsoft’s ecosystem, as Treadwell demonstrated on stage at Microsoft’s Build developer conference while showing features coming in Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 updates. Microsoft says that this should be easy for developers to implement, as much of the code can be reused across the different platforms.