store Archives

BetaBeacon

July 15, 2026

After Google Vs Epic Games, Xbox Finally Gets Its Shot On Android

Google's grip over the Play Store was ruled as an illegal monopoly, leading to the opening up of Android to approved third-party app stores. This change allows developers to use their own payment systems and skip Google's cut in many cases, making it easier for other app stores to compete. This is significant news for Xbox, as it now has the opportunity to launch its own mobile game store on Android, which has been a goal for the company for years. The loosening of rules on Android provides Xbox with a chance to bring its mobile store to life and potentially increase revenue by selling games directly, running promotions, and offering better prices without Google taking a cut. The history of Xbox's fight against Google and Apple in the mobile app store market is also highlighted, with Xbox having faced obstacles in launching its mobile store features on Android in the past. With the recent changes, Xbox now has fewer roadblocks in its way and a real opportunity to establish a mobile storefront on Android.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

Google Will Allow Third-Party App Stores On Android Next Week

Google has announced the introduction of third-party app stores for US users, starting July 22, as part of the Play Catalog Access Program. Developers can submit apps to Google, which will then be accessible through these external stores, although transactions will still be processed via Google Play, maintaining service fees. This initiative follows a settlement with Epic Games, which led to the creation of a "Registered App Stores" program. However, Google and Epic have since withdrawn their motion to modify a court injunction. Third-party app stores must pay a ,000 upfront service fee for a security review and an annual fee of ,000 to access the Play catalog, and they are required to target US users only. Additionally, Google has opened the Play Store to external billing options and reduced its commission on app purchases from 30% to 10%.

Tech Optimizer

July 15, 2026

Can Chromebooks Get Viruses? How to Protect Your Device

Chromebooks are designed with robust security features, including sandboxing, Verified Boot, automatic updates, data encryption, and Recovery Mode, which collectively reduce the risk of malware infections. However, they are still vulnerable to threats such as malicious Chrome extensions, scam Android apps from third-party stores, phishing attacks, and risks associated with using Developer Mode and cloud storage. Users can identify potential malware through signs like slow performance, unexpected pop-ups, and unusual battery drain. To remove malware, users should eliminate suspicious extensions, uninstall dubious apps, run antivirus scans, enable Google Play Protect, or perform a Powerwash to reset the device. To protect their Chromebooks, users should avoid Developer Mode, check app permissions, use two-factor authentication, verify website URLs, and use a VPN on public Wi-Fi.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

Android’s biggest store-within-a-store shakeup starts next week

Epic Games and Google have decided to withdraw their proposed settlement regarding the Play Store, following a [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: In a significant turn of events, Epic Games and Google have mutually decided to withdraw their previously proposed settlement, which had aimed to sidestep extensive alterations to the Play Store. This decision comes on the heels of an unexpected 0 million partnership between the two companies. As a result, Google is now obligated to incorporate rival app stores within the Play Store, following the original court injunction set for October 2024. According to a report from The Verge, Google is preparing to enable third-party app stores in the U.S. starting July 22, 2026. Dan Jackson, a spokesperson for Google, elaborated on the situation, stating: “We’ve agreed with Epic to withdraw our motion to modify the US Court’s injunction rather than prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem. This allows us to focus on executing our recently announced global business model evolution to deliver greater app store choice, lower prices, and more opportunities for developers and users. We remain committed to maintaining Android’s industry-leading security and fostering a competitive ecosystem where every app store and developer has the freedom to compete. In parallel, we continue to comply with the US Court’s injunction.” What does all of this mean? The initial settlement had permitted Google to avoid the integration of third-party app stores in the U.S., instead offering developers enhanced flexibility for app distribution and payment processing outside the Google Play Store. With the withdrawal of this settlement, Google must adhere to the original court ruling from October 2024, which mandates the inclusion of rival Android app stores within the Google Play Store for an extended period, alongside sharing its entire app catalog with these stores. Notably, this ruling is applicable solely within the U.S., allowing other global markets to remain unaffected. As highlighted in Google’s statement, the company is also advancing its Registered App Stores program for international markets as part of its agreement with Epic. In the U.S., Google is already notifying app developers that their app and game listings will be automatically accessible to third-party app stores starting July 22, unless they choose to opt out. Furthermore, Google has initiated an enrollment page for third-party app stores to access its Play Catalog, with an annual fee of ,000 for security and policy reviews, among other stipulations. As this situation unfolds, numerous questions remain unanswered, and clarity is anticipated as the process progresses. Epic and Google are scheduled to appear before the Court on Thursday, where further insights on this matter may be revealed." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"] million partnership. As a result, Google is required to include rival app stores in the Play Store due to a court injunction set for October 2024. Google plans to enable third-party app stores in the U.S. starting July 22, 2026. The withdrawal of the settlement means Google must comply with the original court ruling, which mandates the inclusion of rival Android app stores and sharing its app catalog with them. In the U.S., app developers will have their listings automatically accessible to third-party app stores unless they opt out. Google has also launched an enrollment page for third-party app stores to access its Play Catalog, with an annual fee of ,000 for security and policy reviews.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

Google and Epic give up fighting — third-party Android app stores are coming next week

Epic Games and Google have withdrawn their joint motion to retroactively settle a lawsuit regarding Android app stores in the U.S. Google plans to integrate rival app stores into its Google Play platform, with a launch date of July 22nd. A previous ruling by Judge James Donato required Google to host competing app stores and share its app catalog, which Google contested. The settlement with Epic included a confidential 0 million agreement. Google will automatically list U.S. app developers' applications in third-party app stores starting July 22nd, unless they opt out. Third-party app stores will incur an annual fee of ,000 for access to Google’s app catalog, along with other requirements.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Epic Games Store boss quits after 8 years to take up new role at Saber Interactive

Steve Allison has left his position as vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store after eight years to become the chief business officer at Saber Interactive. He praised Saber Interactive's founders and their ability to create high-quality games cost-effectively, mentioning upcoming titles like Space Marine 3, Jurassic Park, Turok, Hellraiser, and a new John Wick game, along with several unannounced projects. During his tenure at Epic Games, Allison helped launch the Epic Games Store in 2018, which now has 78 million monthly active users, largely due to the strategy of offering free games. The Epic Games Store competes with Steam, which is estimated to have around 200 million monthly active users. Saber Interactive, founded in 2001, gained recognition for its work on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and was acquired by Embracer in 2020, later being sold to a company owned by Karch for 7 million.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Steam just made $11 billion in the last 6 months, and most of it came from older games

In the first half of 2026, Steam generated an estimated .1 billion in gross revenue from game sales, setting a record for the platform. This amount is nearly equal to Steam's total revenue for all of 2021. Only 21% of this revenue came from games released in 2026, with the majority from Steam's back catalog. The top new release, Forza Horizon 6, earned approximately .7 million, followed by Resident Evil Requiem at .5 million and Crimson Desert at [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Steam Achieves Record-Breaking Revenue in First Half of 2026 Steam has marked a significant milestone, reporting its most successful half-year performance to date. In the first six months of 2026, the platform is estimated to have generated an impressive .1 billion in gross revenue from game sales, setting a new record for the PC storefront. This remarkable figure is nearly equivalent to the total revenue Steam achieved throughout all of 2021, a year that saw a surge in gaming activity due to pandemic-related lockdowns. Notably, only 21% of this revenue stems from games released in 2026, with the majority coming from Steam's extensive back catalog. According to Alinea Analytics, the standout title for new releases on Steam this year is Forza Horizon 6, which has amassed an estimated 7.7 million in revenue since its launch. Following closely behind are Resident Evil Requiem at 4.5 million and Crimson Desert at 0.1 million. These figures underscore the impact that a few blockbuster releases can have on the overall revenue generated by the platform. The report identifies several key trends contributing to this revenue surge. One significant factor is the growth of the user base in Asia, particularly in China, which has emerged as a vital source of new players and increased spending. Additionally, publishers are increasingly releasing high-priced games and leveraging prominent partnerships to enhance their market appeal. Interestingly, many publishers who initially sought to direct users to their own PC launchers have returned to Steam, as gamers have shown a preference for the established platform. Steam has cultivated a sense of stability and reliability, offering features such as backward compatibility, regional pricing, frequent sales, and dependable access to past purchases. This ensures that players can revisit games they purchased years ago without the concern of hardware or operating system changes. Valve has also been proactive in expanding Steam's compatibility beyond the Windows ecosystem. Initiatives like SteamOS, Proton, and related compatibility layers are designed to enable Windows-based PC games to run on various hardware and operating systems, including handheld devices and non-Windows platforms. While these advancements may go unnoticed by the average user, the overarching aim is to allow gamers to purchase a title once and enjoy it across multiple devices. In contrast, other storefronts have adopted different strategies. The Epic Games Store, for instance, has attracted users by offering free games. However, former employees have noted that many players tend to claim these free titles only to return to Steam for the majority of their gaming and spending activities. Alinea's long-term projections illustrate the evolution of Steam's market position over the past decade. The firm's analysis indicates that Steam's annual revenue has surged from approximately .5 billion in 2017 to an estimated billion in 2025. With .1 billion already recorded in the first half of the year and continued robust spending on older titles, Valve's influence in the PC gaming landscape continues to expand." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].1 million. The growth of Steam's user base in Asia, particularly China, has significantly contributed to this revenue increase. Many publishers have returned to Steam due to user preference for the platform, which offers features like backward compatibility and frequent sales. Valve is also expanding Steam's compatibility with initiatives like SteamOS and Proton. Steam's annual revenue has grown from approximately .5 billion in 2017 to an estimated billion in 2025.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

How The Coalition and NVIDIA are Building Gears of War: E-Day for PC

Gears of War: E-Day is being developed by XBOX and The Coalition as the most immersive and technically advanced entry in the franchise, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 and DirectX 12, optimized for various PC hardware. NVIDIA is the exclusive PC partner, focusing on integrating GeForce RTX technologies for performance enhancements and launch support. The game emphasizes emotional storytelling, intense combat, and cinematic visuals, featuring advanced rendering capabilities like hardware ray tracing and NVIDIA RTX enhancements. It incorporates NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, Super Resolution, and NVIDIA Reflex for improved gameplay performance. The game will also support AMD FSR, Unreal Engine TSR, Intel XeSS, and Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) to optimize performance and visual fidelity. Gears of War: E-Day will be available on multiple PC storefronts, including the Microsoft Store and the XBOX PC app, with Early Access to the Open Beta starting August 6 and the official launch on October 6.

Winsage

July 14, 2026

Microsoft Releases July 2026 Patch Tuesday Updates

Microsoft has released the July 2026 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2, and 24H2, introducing several key features: - A new recovery feature allows users to revert their PCs to a recent restore point. - The Widgets experience has been revamped to minimize distractions, including no longer opening upon hover and reduced memory usage. - Users can pause Windows updates for up to 35 days and re-pause them as needed. - A new screen tint feature applies a color overlay to reduce eye strain. - Magnifier now offers preset zoom increments and allows specific zoom percentages to be input. - Bluetooth connectivity improvements include quicker pairing for Apple’s AirPods and better reliability for Beats Studio Pro headphones. - Voice access and voice typing features are now available in French, German, and Spanish. - Users can customize the right-click zone size on touchpads with a pressable surface. - The emoji panel now uses GIPHY for GIF content. - Taskbar notification counts and badge visuals will update accurately. For Qualcomm-powered PCs running Windows 11 version 26H1, the KB5101649 update includes the Point-in-time restore feature and introduces new NPU usage metrics in Task Manager, the option to assign a custom user folder name during setup, and allows multiple applications to access the camera stream simultaneously. Improvements have also been made to Windows Hello authentication and Microsoft Store performance, along with enhancements to Windows Search for better file location and prioritization.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

The Last of Us and Valheim collide in surprise free PC game, days left to claim

KeepUp Survival is currently available for free on the Epic Games Store until 5 PM BST on July 19. The game, developed by Witte Studio, features a narrative that begins with a global pandemic and involves players as the sole survivor of a crash on a remote island. Players engage in resource gathering, crafting, and base building in an open-world environment with no strict objectives. The game includes voice recordings from a character named Jill, hinting at sinister occurrences related to a research facility. A free beta for a zombie expansion is available on Steam. KeepUp Survival is typically priced at .99 / £12.79. Players can tame dogs, manage hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, and explore using various vehicles, with a dynamic day and night cycle enhancing the experience.