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Windows 10 now includes anti-cheat protection for games
Windows 10's Fall Creators Update is full of changes, but one of the understated additions could make a big difference if you're a gamer. Microsoft has switched on its previously teased TruePlay feature, which promises to protect against "common" cheats in Universal Windows Platform games. Titles that take advantage of the safeguard will both run in a protected mode and trigger a background service that watches for typical cheating behavior. If they find anything amiss, they'll send data to the developer. You can switch off TruePlay if you're nervous about Windows transmitting your data, but companies can limit what you're allowed to do (playing online, for example) if you don't have it enabled.
Microsoft's Template Studio codes your Universal Windows apps for you
Back in 2015, Microsoft unveiled a visual way to write apps from a web browser without writing a single line of code. While the template-based Windows App Studio wasn't powerful enough to build the most beautiful interface, it did offer a glimpse into Windows development and an introduction to the Windows Store marketplace. Today, Microsoft announced the App Studio's successor, Windows Template Studio, is getting a fresh update to provide the same easy interface for building Universal Windows Platform apps.
'Windows Cloud' looks like Microsoft's answer to Chrome OS
To date, Microsoft has had a simple strategy for fighting Chromebooks: make low-cost Windows laptops that negate Google's price advantage. However, it now looks to be extending that strategy to the operating system itself. Both Windows Blog Italia and Thurrott have gotten a peek at Windows Cloud (or Windows 10 Cloud, depending on who you ask), a spin on Windows 10 that appears focused on beating Google's Chrome OS. It largely behaves the same as Windows 10, but its stand-out feature is what it doesn't do -- namely, run conventional Windows apps.
'Gears of War 4' will have plenty of PC-specific features
The history of Microsoft-backed Xbox One games coming to the PC isn't exactly stellar. When Remedy's Quantum Break reached Windows, it was saddled with limitations that were partly dictated by the Universal Windows Platform's own limits, such as frame rate issues and an overall lack of features. You shouldn't run into those problems when Gears of War 4 rolls around, though. As part of a Eurogamer interview, The Coalition has revealed that the cover-based shooter will have ample PC-specific features. You'll get much deeper video settings that include dynamic resolutions, so your ultra-wide display won't go to waste. It'll also take advantage of many-core PC processors, higher-resolution textures and UWP's recently unlocked frame rates, offering a distinct visual advantage to playing on a brawny computer.
Microsoft unlocks framerates for smoother gameplay on Windows 10
Microsoft wants folks to believe Windows 10 is a serious gaming platform and has showcased its capabilities with tech demos like its retooling of Forza 6 for powerhouse PCs. Today, they're letting games designed for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) unlock their framerates from the refresh rate of their monitors. This fixes a long-standing complaint from gamers and developers who want to play games at higher framerates on UWP but were prevented from doing so, even for recent releases like Quantum Break.
