Quantum Broken
The “walled garden” problem is not the only one UWP has faced. When Quantum Break originally released on Windows Store, Digital Foundry noted that many of the game’s issues could be traced back to UWP. Writing about the game, they noted, “In the case of Quantum Break, this means that we’re basically held hostage waiting for improvements from the developer or from Microsoft itself, as if this were a console game.”
Later, while analysing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, another UWP exclusive, Digital Foundry found even more issues. Adding more fuel to the universal Windows fire, Microsoft admitted that games running on UWP will only support modding through developer-sanctioned platforms, similar to Steam Workshop. Mods that modify the executable, on the other hand, will not be possible.
This isn’t to say that Microsoft has been entirely blind to these issues. In May, Microsoft announced upgrades to UWP that included V-Sync control, support for exclusive fullscreen mode (allowing G-Sync and Freesync support), and unlocked framerates. Undeterred by criticism, Microsoft has clearly been trying to make UWP a viable solution for developers.
