The Windows Store has a section dedicated to games where you can find diverse titles for computers and other devices running Windows 8.1. For each game, you are shown its price, average user rating, a brief description, its content rating and its main features.

On the right side of a game’s page, you can view several screen shots from that game and, if you scroll further to the right, you can access its user reviews and ratings, view more details about what’s required to play the game, view a list of related apps (meaning similar games) and view a list with other games from the same publisher.

When browsing the Games section in the Windows Store, you are first presented with games that are in the spotlight. Scroll to the right, and you can view the games that are popular right now, then the latest releases and, finally the top paid and top free games.

In this exercise, you’ll learn how to find games in the Windows Store and how to install them on your Windows 8.1 computer or device.

The Wordament game is now installed, and you can find its shortcut in the Apps view, which is, accessible using the arrow on the bottom-left side of the Start screen.

With the introductions of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, the world of gaming became much richer. In addition to the desktop games you know and love, you can also enjoy new types of games designed for touch devices (for instance, tablets).

Just like operating systems that have a very clear set of system requirements that must be met for them to work, games have individual system requirements depending on their size, complexity, and other criteria. If your computer or device can run Windows 8.1, it doesn’t mean it can run all games that work on Windows 8.1. That’s why before purchasing and installing a game you need to be aware of that game’s system requirements. If your system doesn’t meet at least the minimum requirements, you won’t be able to play the game without problems.

Those requirements are always shared by the developers of each game. If you bought a game from a store, the requirements will be on the back or side of its cover. If you purchase a game online, the requirements are listed with the description of the game on its dedicated page.

In the Windows Store, a game’s requirements are shown on its page. Open a game’s page and scroll to the right until you find the Details section. There, you will see notes shared by the developer, the permissions required by the game, its recommended hardware, and supported processors.

If your Windows 8.1 computer or device meets the game’s system requirements, you will be able to play it.

More so than other types of software, gaming performance is closely tied to the configuration of your device. As such, having the latest drivers installed for your system’s most important hardware components is paramount. If you want to play three-dimensional games with advanced graphics, it is important to update your video card’s drivers regularly. In such scenarios, using the latest video card driver offered through Windows Update is not enough to ensure smooth game performance in all games. Therefore, you must download the latest drivers from the website of your video card’s manufacturer for your specific video card model.

With the help of the Games app, you can find, purchase, and install Xbox games from Windows 8.1. You can also find Xbox games that works on Windows and install them on your Windows 8.1 computer or device.

When you open it, you see information about the latest games and offers available.

If you scroll to the right, you can view games from the Windows Store that work on your Windows 8.1 computer or device.

If you scroll to the left, you can see your recent game activity, what your Xbox friends are doing, and you can edit your Xbox profile.

Clicking a game, opens the game’s page. You are shown information about the game and given options to play it, view more details about the game, or play its trailer. Some titles might offer more information and options, whereas others less.

If you want to play a game, click Play to go to its page in the Windows Store, where you can purchase and install it, as shown earlier in this chapter.

You can connect to your Xbox console from any Windows 8.1 computer or device connected to the same network and using the same Microsoft account. You do this with the help of the Xbox SmartGlass app, which you need to download and install from the Windows Store.

The Xbox SmartGlass app automatically connects to your Xbox and displays your ongoing activity on the console, in the Now Playing section. For example, if you are playing a game, its name and a screen shot are displayed; if you are using the Xbox Dashboard, its name and logo are displayed.

Below the Now Playing section, there is a button labeled Remote. If you click it, you can use the Xbox SmartGlass app to control your Xbox remotely. For example, you can type text directly to your Xbox or you can simulate the use of a controller and send commands to the console.

If you scroll to the right, you can view the recent activity on your Xbox and access the Spotlight section. Here, you can view movies and games that are currently in the spotlight. If you click any of them, you can view more information, and you are given the option to play them on your Xbox console.

In this exercise, you’ll learn how to connect your Xbox to your Windows 8.1 computer or device through the Xbox SmartGlass app.

Now, you can start using the Xbox SmartGlass app. Each time you run Xbox SmartGlass, it searches for your Xbox console. If it finds it online, you can use the app and all its features. If it doesn’t find the console, you are informed and given advice on how to fix the problem.