Xbox President Sarah Bond announced that players will soon be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android.
The announcement comes after a US judge on Monday ordered Google to stop forcing developers to use Google Play’s billing system. The ruling forces Google to open up its app store to rivals and give Android users more choice.
“The court’s decision to open Google’s mobile store in the US allows for more choice and flexibility,” Bond said in a post on X. “Our mission is to help more players play on more devices, and we’re excited to share this with them.” Starting in November, players will be able to play directly from the Xbox app on Android. You’ll be able to play and purchase Xbox games. ”
Microsoft will now be able to sell games to players on Android without being forced to give Google a cut of the revenue from in-app purchases.
Bond didn’t share any additional details or information about which games will be available via the Xbox app, but TechCrunch has reached out to Microsoft to learn more.
Separately, Microsoft is working on launching its own mobile games store. Bond announced in May that the store would open in July, but that didn’t happen and the company is still in the testing phase. The company’s plan for the web-based store is to introduce its portfolio, which includes titles such as Candy Crush and Minecraft, and then open the mobile store to other publishers.
Judge James Donato handed down the final ruling in the Epic vs. Google case Monday, detailing a number of ways the company must change the way it operates Google Play for three years starting Nov. 1.
As part of the ruling, Google is also not allowed to pay developers to release apps only on its own app store. You must also allow third-party app stores to access Google Play’s app catalog, and you must list third-party apps in that app store.
In response to the ruling, Google said it would appeal and ask the court to suspend the ordered changes, saying the changes would “hurt Android’s ability to compete with Apple’s iOS.”
