Build your first game app for the Windows desktop

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Windows 8.1

What's new

Windows SDK for Windows 8.1

Compatibility cookbook

Get started

Develop

Choose your technology

Test and deploy

Resources

Develop desktop apps

Windows APIs

Your main resource for developing desktop apps and drivers.

UX Guidelines

Create great user experiences with these detailed UX guidelines for desktop apps.

Create a great UI

Develop a UI and connect events,
like user input, to create a compelling user experience.

Leverage the Windows Shell

Help people work with your app or file from the desktop, taskbar, or File Explorer.

Build 2014 and desktop apps

Watch more videos

Day 1 keynote

Hear what's new in Windows 8.1 Update and what's in store for desktop apps (54:54). The conversation continues on Day 2 (1:49:30).

Desktop platform enhancements

Take advantage of touch/pen/mouse/touchpad input, high DPI displays, and rich animations.

Desktop development: panel discussion

Product team members answer desktop development questions about C++, WPF, .NET and more.

XAML, WPF, and other fairy tales

Tim Heuer and Hamid Mahmood sit down with Charles Torre to discuss these topics.