Developer Pricing
The latest Developer Pricing coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Samsung SmartThings Developer API Will Require $4.99 Monthly Fee From 2026
Samsung is set to monetize its SmartThings API with a $4.99/month personal developer plan starting October 2026, while current free access continues through Q3 2026. The move introduces commercial tiers for businesses and aims to fund platform improvements, but it has stirred debate in the developer community about the future of open smart home innovation.
UniGetUI 2026.2.2 Completes Avalonia Transition, Arms Windows Users with Snap Layouts and Leaner Packages
UniGetUI 2026.2.2 marks a major milestone with the completion of its migration from WinUI to Avalonia, delivering sharper performance, cross-platform readiness, and new Windows 11 Snap Layouts support. The update also brings a significantly smaller installer package and a revamped logging system tailored for power users, reinforcing its position as the premier GUI for Windows package managers like winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop.
Win11Debloat 06.24.2026 Drops Legacy Custom App-Lists for Safer, Policy-Driven Windows Debloating
Win11Debloat 06.24.2026 has arrived, replacing legacy custom app-list removal with a safer, policy-driven approach. The update introduces detailed risk warnings for aggressive debloat actions, eliminating the fragility of hard-coded package uninstalls. This shift ensures users can strip Windows 10 and 11 of bloatware without breaking system updates or core functionality.
Google Slashes Play Store Fees, Adds Alternative Billing: What Developers Need to Know
Google announced on June 24, 2026, that it will roll out lower Google Play fees and expanded alternative billing options on June 30 for developers in the EEA, UK, and US. The move complies with EU DMA regulations, reduces the platform tax, and gives developers and users more payment choices. It marks a major shift in app store economics, with global implications for developers and rival platforms.
Windows 11 Has a Built-in Hardware Rating System: Here’s How to Access It
Windows 11 still includes the legacy WinSAT tool, which can generate Windows Experience Index-style hardware scores. Users can retrieve these ratings via a simple PowerShell command, Get-CimInstance Win32_WinSAT, or force a fresh assessment with winsat formal. The tool remains useful for quick benchmarks, inventory, and troubleshooting despite its outdated algorithms.
Microsoft Arms Devs with DirectX Dump Files to Capture Elusive GPU Crashes
Microsoft released a preview of DirectX Dump Files on June 19, 2026, enabling Windows game developers to capture GPU crash data in .dxdmp_preview files for analysis in PIX. The feature promises to drastically reduce debugging time by providing a snapshot of the graphics pipeline at the moment of failure. Available to Insiders, it currently supports DirectX 12 only and is expected to evolve based on developer feedback.
Zed 1.7.2 Preview Lands with Mac-Only Bug Fixes: Windows Users Urged to Wait for Next Update
Zed editor's version 1.7.2 preview release addresses two persistent macOS bugs—settings window dragging and workspace error popup close-button—but brings no changes for Windows users. While macOS users plagued by these issues should update immediately, Windows enthusiasts are better off skipping this build and waiting for a more substantial release.
Microsoft's New .dxdmp Crash Dumps Promise Faster GPU Bug Fixes on Windows 11
Microsoft has introduced DirectX Dump Files, a new crash-diagnostic feature in the DirectX 12 Agility SDK that captures full GPU state into a portable .dxdmp file. The preview on Windows 11 aims to drastically reduce debugging time for GPU crashes by providing developers with detailed, replayable snapshots of pipeline state. Early adopters report major gains in root-cause analysis, and engine vendors are evaluating integration.
Ubisoft Connect Edges Out EA App and Battle.net as the Most Efficient PC Launcher in 2026
Ubisoft Connect has emerged as the most resource-efficient and interface-disciplined PC game launcher in 2026, outperforming the EA App and Battle.net in idle memory, CPU usage, and disk footprint. While EA App offers the best subscription value through EA Play Pro and Battle.net excels in multiplayer integration, Ubisoft Connect's lightweight design and minimal data collection make it the top choice for performance-conscious gamers running multiple launchers.
Force Ethernet First on Windows 10 and 11: The Forgotten Interface Metric Tweak That Keeps Wi‑Fi in Check
Windows 10 and 11 continue to favor Wi‑Fi over Ethernet in many default configurations, leading to unnecessary latency and instability. Manually setting the interface metric to a low value on the wired adapter ensures that Ethernet always takes priority, a one‑time tweak that survives reboots and driver updates.
WSL2 Kernel 6.18.35.2 Arrives to Fix x86 Timekeeping Regression Caused by Incorrect MSR Access
Microsoft released an emergency WSL2 kernel update, version 6.18.35.2, on June 19, 2026, to fix a timekeeping regression in the previous 6.18.35.1 release. The bug was caused by an incorrect model-specific register (MSR) access on x86 systems, leading to inaccurate system time. The single-patch fix restores proper clock behavior, and users are advised to update immediately via Windows Update or manual download.
PowerShell Object Pipelines vs. CMD Text Parsing: The Automation Edge IT Pros Can't Ignore
PowerShell’s object-based pipeline eliminates the fragile text parsing required by CMD batch files, enabling robust filtering, sorting, and exporting of structured data. This article contrasts both approaches with real-world automation examples and shows how the pipeline reduces script length, prevents locale-dependent breakage, and integrates with modern cloud and DevOps workflows.
Microsoft Urges Pilot Testing for Visual Studio 2026’s ‘Update on Close’ as Enterprises Eye Controlled Rollouts
Microsoft recommends organizations begin piloting Visual Studio 2026 immediately to test its new 'Update on Close' feature, which shifts IDE updates to occur only when the user exits the program. However, broad production deployment should be delayed in favor of a controlled, team-driven rollout to avoid disrupting stable development environments. The new modular update system promises reduced downtime and more flexible patch management but demands careful integration with existing toolchains and security policies.