Windows Phone 8 goes native

Windows Phone 8 will support native C/C++ and DirectX, Microsoft has announced.

The news comes from the Windows Phone Summit, just two days after Microsoft unvieled a direct competitor to the iPad, the Surface tablet.

According to Venture Beat, Microsoft has unveiled a list of game developer friendly features for the new mobile OS.

Programmers will also be able to choose from HTML5, C#, and Visual Basic.

Microsoft says the ability to code in native C languages will make it easy for developers to port their games from Android and iOS.

DirectX architecture will make porting desktop games from Windows 8 so easy that “games developers can write the same game for Windows 8 and Windows Phone,” claimed a company representative.

Havok’s Andrew Bowell appeared onstage to announce that Windows Phone 8 games can be created using the full Havok Technology Suite, allowing for “immersive and real 3D worlds, highly realistic characters and cinematic visuals.”

There are no phones on the market that currently support the new OS.