In collaboration with Microsoft, Amazon has announced the general availability of its AppStore on Windows 11 for all developers. This means more apps and games are coming to Windows 11 as Amazon developers can now easily access the AppStore for Windows and bring their Amazon Store apps to Microsoft’s platform.
Notably, Android apps and games like Audible, TikTok, Lords Mobile, Hungry Shark Evolution, and Epic Seven have expanded their user base by bringing their games to PCs without creating a separate Windows app. For example, Epic Seven expanded its app’s reach with the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11, increasing its revenue and enhancing its customers’ gaming experience.
To port their Android apps to Windows 11, developers are advised to test their app on a Windows 11 device with at least 8GB of RAM. Once these minimum requirements are met, developers can download the WSA from the Microsoft Store, automatically installing the Amazon Appstore.
Once the WSA and Amazon Appstore for Windows 11 are activated on the PC, developers are recommended to:
- Review the compatibility guide covering Windows-specific use cases for the app, including input controls, graphic management, x86 architecture, and how scope storage works with app-specific file directories. The guide also outlines the features that should be tested for Windows 11 functionality.
- Follow Microsoft’s instructions for enabling “developer mode” to debug the app on Windows 11 and use Amazon’s Live App Testing for app submission preparation.
- Implement keyboard/mouse support, window management & resizing capabilities for an optimal PC user experience.
- Consult the developer blogs for guidance on mapping native inputs and resizing apps in WSA.
- For further queries, refer to the troubleshooting guide, developer FAQs, and the WSA project on GitHub.
- Follow the steps to target Windows devices from the Amazon developer console to submit the app for publication.
It’s noteworthy that to target Windows 11 devices; developers must submit an Android app. Mobile web or HTML5 apps cannot target non-Amazon Android devices or Windows Subsystem for Android.