Why I need windows 8.1 sdk?

after last 2 or 3 update of UE4 launcher the engine request to me win sdk 8.1 for compile my project… before this issue never touch me… why now i need to install an extra sdk for compiling my project? it stop to compile after returning ERROR: Windows SDK v8.1 must be installed in order to build this target.
is totally nonsense I’m on windows 7 why I need to install win 8.1 sdk…

Same here… Im on windows 10!

I am in same situation, I install win 8.1 SDK but my question is if the game will be run in others PCs with win 7 without win 8.1 SDK installed?

yeah seems a bit weird. Isnt this for metro apps? was like wtf do I need this for unreal engine for.

I don’t know but I’m gonna take a guess that it is for Windows Mobile phone support. Hope they remove the dependency soon.