Microsoft may soon ditch DirectUI and move to XAML, WinAppSDK on next-gen Windows 11

The Dev Channel builds are where Microsoft introduces the newest experimental features for Windows. However, outside of the announced features, these Insider builds often come with hidden features as well, which gives us an idea about upcoming additions as well. The latest Dev channel build 25300 gives us another look at the new "Gallery" app, which was uncovered in a Dev build last year. While we already had a preliminary idea of what the it may be like, we now know a bit more about the Gallery application.

Windows enthusiast and Twitter detective, Albacore, who spotted this change, speculates that Microsoft could be looking to move on from DirectUI and onto XAML. The images below are an early version of Windows App SDK-based File Explorer. Essentially, all this is meant to lead towards the overall Windows 11 fluent design goals and consistency.

While this is certainly exciting news, Albacore has warned that the new XAML-based implementation is quite unstable and can crash. Hence we don't really recommend enabling it, at least not until it gets more stable.

Aside from the addition of the new Gallery, the File Explorer itself is also getting a massive overhaul, which seem to include several new and interesting feature additions. And it is not just File Explorer which has major changes coming as the Settings app, too, is getting notable improvements, and several new feature additions.

Source and images: Albacore (Twitter)

Microsoft may soon ditch DirectUI and move to XAML, WinAppSDK on next-gen Windows 11