Microsoft to auto-update drivers for Windows Store games

[HEXUS]

From the Windows 10 Creators Update onwards.

Read more.

[Kato-2]

Actually this is something I would appreciate, too many driver updates plaguing pc gaming, someone at MS is paying attention.

If your invested in xbox then you likely prefer stability and easy of use, the people who love to live on the bleeding edge and breaking things are more likely to not be users of Xbox.

Anyway that's really just a side issue, the biggest thing holding back Xbox PC is the messy store fronts not just the win store but the one in the xbox app as well, inconsistency among games like dead rising 4 isn't an xbox anywhere title, they have much bigger issue to square away in this area.

An xbox app with a store front that puts proper xbox pc games front and center, categories, more xbox anywhere titles, marketing with special offers, are all things that should be their top priority.

[Saracen]

The thing with XBox is that MS effectively control it anyway. PCs are often used for a variety of disparate uses, some of which, for example, require specific driver versions to properly support hardware, or a particular configuration for software reasons.

Thurrott.com foresees some gnashing of teeth occurring if Microsoft takes complete control of graphics driver updates, overwriting existing installations to suit new games as they are released, for example. It is hoped that Microsoft offers the automated driver delivery as an option, and one that is easily toggled on or off when the Windows 10 Creators Update arrives.

Some gnashing?

As stated, "hopefully" it will be optional, toggleable. But personally, I wouldn't bet on it, because that concept is alien to the MS Win10 mindset, which is entirely that THEY oen the right to remote-configure YOUR computer, anytime time they feel like it, and if upgrading drivers suits their strategic objectives in delivering their store, my bet is they'll steamroller right over any such hopes, or objections.

My views on Win10 aren't exactly secret, but this kind of thing is exactly why I decided to abandon Windows for the future, sticking with Win 7 (and even earlier) on some machines, and reluctantly moving the rest to Linux.

Maybe my cynicism will be unfounded, and this will be optional. This time.

But I'm not going to hold my breath. Instead, I'll issue a smug sigh of relief that it doesn't affect me.

[cheesemp]

Sounds like a good idea if optional but I thought the Windows store was pretty dead was PC Gaming? They tried hard but steam/origin/gog etc will be almost impossible to displace and first impressions have not been good (No cross play with steam users for the latest COD, big graphical limitations with the early games like no vsync).

[Corky34]

Knowing Microsoft it will be enabled by default with some esoteric hidden setting if you want to opt-out or if the driver causes issues.

[LSG501]

Considering the last few nvidia updates have had issues which needed fixing I hate the idea of drivers being updated automatically.... Luckily I'm not likely to install any games via windows store

[shaithis]

Now if only they changed the WDM model so that each driver could switch between different versions on an app-by-app basis......

[kalniel]

Now if only they changed the WDM model so that each driver could switch between different versions on an app-by-app basis......

Indeed, or even outsource the relevant files to the game so that the process of loading the game loads in the most optimal driver.

I've had no end of issues getting windows store apps to work though. Some kind of permissions problems always seem to strike, silently. And then there's the pricing...

[this_is_gav]

Something that if implemented well and kept up to date would be good, providing their is the option to do things manually (even if it's discouraged), something Microsoft seem to have forgotten the importance of in recent years.

[scaryjim]

... providing their is the option to do things manually ...

Personally I'm more concerned about the "requires WHCK signed/stable driver" bit - both AMD and nvidia regularly push out non-WHQL hotfix drivers; this sounds like every time you purchase a game from Windows store it will auto-install the latest WHQL driver - which might be older than the one you're currently using...

I totally get why they want to implement something like this, but it just doesn't work in the PC ecosystem...

[OilSheikh]

Maybe the muppets can now bring back Aero ?

[this_is_gav]

... providing their is the option to do things manually ...

Personally I'm more concerned about the "requires WHCK signed/stable driver" bit - both AMD and nvidia regularly push out non-WHQL hotfix drivers; this sounds like every time you purchase a game from Windows store it will auto-install the latest WHQL driver - which might be older than the one you're currently using...

I totally get why they want to implement something like this, but it just doesn't work in the PC ecosystem...

That's a fair point, especially given Nvidia's recent issues, two of which weren't exactly minor.

I'm just embarrassed about using "their" when it should have been "there". It's been a long week already...