Microsoft releases Windows 10X emulator and updates the one for Surface Duo

Today, Microsoft is holding its Developer Day event focused on dual-screen experiences, and with it come a few announcements. For starters, just like it had promised, the company has released the Microsoft Emulator and tools so developers can start working on developing for Windows 10X and dual-screen devices to make use of the new form factor. The emulator includes a tool that lets users view a 3D render of a Surface Neo-like device to see the effects of moving the screens around the hinge.

Microsoft also updated the Surface Duo SDK, which it released last month. The new version includes all of Microsoft's Java native samples as Kotlin samples, support for drag and drop across screens, and more.

Web apps are also a big part of the story of the dual-screen experience, and Microsoft says it has proposed a new JavaScript API and CSS media query, and it's working with the Second-screen and CSS Working Groups and the World Wide Web Consortium to develop new standards for dual-screen experiences. As these standards develop, Microsoft plans to add its implementation to the Chromium project, which the company's new Edge browser is based on.

Since the Surface Duo and Surface Neo run on different operating systems but have similar form factors, developers might want an easier way to develop for both devices at the same time. To that endeavor, Microsoft has released a new dual-screen SDK for Xamarin.Forms, as well as dual-screen modules for React Native.

As of right now, the Microsoft Emulator and the dual-screen SDK for Xamarin.Forms don't actually seem to be working, but that should change soon. Once they're functional, you can start working on apps that support dual screens on both Surface Duo and Windows 10X.

Update: The webpage for the Microsoft Emulator and Windows 10X Emulator image is now live. Interestingly, both are available to download directly from the Microsoft Store. In order to create apps for Windows 10X, you'll need to download the latest preview of Visual Studio 2019 and the Windows Insider Preview SDK. Because the emulator relies on Hyper-V, you'll need Pro, Enterprise, or Education SKUs of Windows 10 in order to use it.