Microsoft releases preview SDK for dual-screen Surface Duo, Windows 10X version is coming next month

Microsoft today announced the availability of the preview SDK for Microsoft Surface Duo that will allow developers to learn about creating dual-screen experiences. In the coming weeks, Microsoft will release preview SDK for Windows 10 dual-screen devices. In addition, Microsoft is announcing new web standards proposals that will allow web developers to create dual-screen experiences for websites and PWAs that can run on Android and Windows 10X.

The preview SDK for Microsoft Surface Duo includes the following:

• Native Java APIs to support dual-screen development for the Surface Duo device, including the DisplayMask API, Hinge Angle Sensor, and new device capabilities.
• An Android Emulator with a preview Surface Duo image that is integrated into Android Studio so you can test your app without a physical device. The emulator simulates postures, gestures, hinge angle, mimicking the seam between the two screens, and more. We’ll continue to add functionality over time.
• Requirements: For the Android Studio and Android Emulator.

The Preview SDK for Windows 10X:

Microsoft will release the pre-release version of the Windows SDK through Insider builds in the coming weeks. Microsoft will also release the Windows 10X dual-screen Emulator on February 11^th

The preview SDK for Windows 10X includes:

• Native Windows APIs for dual-screen development to enable your app to span the two screens, detect the hinge position, and take advantage of Windows 10X.
• Microsoft Emulator is a dual-screen Hyper-V emulator so you can deploy your existing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and Win32 apps and test in both single-and dual-screen scenarios. The emulator simulates the physical device so you can see how your apps interact with Windows 10X.
• Requirements: A recent Windows Insiders preview build of 64-bit Windows 10 (Pro, Enterprise, or Education), 64bit CPU with 4 cores, 8GB minimum (16GB of RAM recommended), Hyper-V enabled and dedicated GPU that supports Direct X 11.0 or later.

Dual-screen experiences for the web:

• New web standards for dual-screen layout: Microsoft is proposing CSS primitives for dual-screen layouts and a JavaScript Window Segments Enumeration API to provide web platform primitives for web developers to detect multiple displays and lay out content across them.
• Dual-screen polyfills: As the above features progress through the web standards process, Microsoft has published polyfills that you can write against as you begin to explore dual-screen development.
• Progressive Web Apps are supported out of the box in the new Microsoft Edge, which can be installed directly from the browser on Windows 10X and Android. PWAs will support the same dual-screen layout features and tools as the browser.

Microsoft will reveal more information about developing for dual-screen devices at Microsoft 365 Developer Day on Tuesday, February 11^th at 8:30 AM PDT.

Source: Microsoft