After first announcing its intention to launch an Android games store earlier this year, Microsoft has confirmed that users will be able to buy and play games through the Xbox app starting in November.
Microsoft’s Xbox president Sarah Bond announced tonight on Twitter/X that the Xbox app on Android will be updated to allow you to buy and play Xbox games directly within the app. This update builds on a recent court ruling that forced Google to expand the functionality of its mobile store on Android.
Bond explains:
A court ruling to open Google’s mobile store in the United States will give it more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to help more players play on more devices. So starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android.
Previously, Microsoft had planned to launch a game store on Android via the web, but that intention never resulted in an actual store launch.
With this update, Xbox games can no longer be played locally on Android devices, but may be available through cloud streaming. However, Microsoft has not yet revealed specific details.
Google is specifically appealing the court’s ruling allowing Microsoft to make these changes, which requires Google to make them by November 1 of this year.
Android details:
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