When Microsoft launched Windows 10, it introduced a new app framework called Universal Windows Platform, or UWP for short. With it, the company could ease cross-platform development. Even if you don’t use the Windows Store, you still likely use a UWP app from time to time. The simple calculator in Windows 10, for example, is a UWP app. Also built on UWP are Xbox games that have been ported to the PC.
The calculator in Windows 10 is one of the most basic UWP applications
I’ll admit that I pretty much hate the Windows Store. It’s clunky, it’s hard to find certain options, and managing the apps is frustrating. But at the same time, I’m very glad it exists, because I’ve been thrilled to play certain Xbox games on the PC, such as Forza Horizon 3 (which has amazing cross-platform play, by the way).
Well, you and I might not dig UWP too much, but Microsoft has clearly enjoyed it. One of the biggest reasons for that might be because of how well protected it is, not just from hackers, but even regular end-users. If you open a UWP application and try to go to its file location through Task Manager, you’ll quickly meet a roadblock, even if you’re running an administrator account.
If you want to see the files of your installed UWP app, tough noogies
But it looks like the days of UWP’s super-secure design are coming to a close (via techPowerUp), as scene group CODEX managed to break through all of the DRM layers found in Zoo Tycoon Ultimate Animal Collection. The game was released this past fall, and overall, there were five separate DRM layers that had to be defeated; those include MSStore, UWP, XBLive, along with EAppX (not related to Electronic Arts), and Arxan.
That said, just because one game is cracked, it doesn’t guarantee that a slew of others are going to be, as well. However, much of this DRM protection is going to be shared between titles, so the outlook doesn’t look great for Microsoft or the publishers of possibly affected titles. Now, we must just wait and see what happens, while companies like GOG.com, which offers only DRM-free content, get their laughs in.
In the meantime, I just realized I have a Forza itch to scratch…