The Microsoft Store in Windows 11 will soon get a nifty new feature that lets you try out games without having to download and install them – but will this innovative feature make the unloved app store more popular?
The Microsoft Store has quite a large library of games that are both available for purchase and free download. However, it lacked the ability to preview a game before downloading and installing it.
That’s about to change for some games, as Microsoft is now giving users the chance to play select titles directly from the Microsoft Store app in Windows 11 – without installation. These ‘Instant Games’ are short, easy-to-play games that you can play leisurely and don’t require much effort to master. They’re located in the ‘Collection’ section of the Microsoft Store, which you can find by clicking the Gaming tab in the Microsoft Store (this opens when you open the app) and scrolling all the way to the bottom. Once you click on Collections, you will be greeted with the game collections from the Microsoft Store.
There are no explicit Instant Games yet, but they should appear under a collection called “Play Free Games with No Downloads.” According to Windows Latest, Instant Games are indicated with an orange lightning logo. This isn’t what the games look like to me, but this could change soon. It looks like the Instant Games feature is still a work in progress, as Microsoft Store version 22312.1401.4.0 has an icon in the left vertical menu that should take you straight to the Instant Games collection, but in Microsoft Store -version 22312.1401.5.0 (a later build) the icon has been removed.
A look at the future and how to play Instant Games
Windows Latest states that Microsoft worked with a number of game developers to make Instant Games a reality, and that there are currently 69 games that users can play directly in the Microsoft Store app. It also appears that Microsoft plans to expand the Instant Games selection and work with more game developers. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft will work with game makers to create playable Instant Game demos of their games, as this could be a great addition to the Microsoft Store, helping users make more informed decisions about which games buy and download them.
Here’s how you can get Instant Games from your Microsoft Store (if they’re not already showing up):
1. Update your Microsoft Store app to the latest version. You can do this by going to your Library in the Microsoft Store in the left menu, at the bottom. If your apps don’t update automatically, you can navigate here and choose which apps you want to update. Also make sure you are connected to the internet.
2. After the update, go to Gaming in the left menu of your Microsoft Store (top).
3. Scroll all the way down Collections and click Collections (the word) to open this section.
4. Choose a game, hover over it and click on the game design. This will take you to the game’s page and allow you to choose either one Play nowor To get to download and install the game. When you click Play nowa new window will open where you can play the game.
First impressions of Instant Games
When I tried it, it ran very smoothly, which makes sense since the games use very little system resources. Perhaps inevitably, all games contain advertisements. Windows Latest suggests for example, you may encounter a 30-second ad when trying to retry a level, but you can bypass this by simply going back to the main menu. Closing a game saves your progress and allows you to pick up where you left off when you reopen the Microsoft Store. Microsoft’s Edge browser offers a similar instant gaming feature in the sidebar.
They’re a good way to spend a few minutes, but the games I tried became very repetitive and they’re not optimized for full-screen play. They open in portrait mode and don’t have the most advanced graphics. It’s perhaps a more symbolic offering from Microsoft, as many similar games can easily be found for mobile across multiple platforms anyway. We’ll have to see if anyone actually plays these games and if this will promote any good will among users. If it’s user goodwill that Microsoft wants, there are other user requests they can fulfill, such as scaling back the constant urging of users to install the Edge browser.