After Epic Games, Xbox plans to become the next major app seller to break free from Google’s shackles. Microsoft’s gaming division announced on Twitter that it will allow Android users to purchase games for their Xbox accounts through the Android Xbox app. Sure, you won’t be able to play your favorite Game Pass games on mobile unless you stream them, but this could be the first step for Microsoft to open its own true app store on Android smartphones.
Xbox President Sarah Bond said in a post on Twitter that players will be able to purchase Xbox games through the Xbox app sometime in November. She specifically referenced California federal judge James Donato’s recent decision in the Epic v. Google legal battle.[ed] Uploading Google’s mobile store in the US
“Our mission is to help more players play on more devices,” she said. “Starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games from the Xbox app. It will be like that,” he added. It may be a vague promise for now, but we do know that the company has long harbored dreams of running its own mobile app store. Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard gave Xbox access to titles from King Digital Entertainment, which remains the home of some of the most popular games. candy crush saga.
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. That’s why we’re excited to announce that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly…
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) October 10, 2024
In a statement to The Verge in August, the company said it was working on a browser-based mobile store and was “making progress” in late August. It’s unclear whether Microsoft plans to retire the store in exchange for app revitalization.
Currently, to purchase games or purchase a Game Pass subscription, you must go through the company’s web store page. The Xbox app on Android won’t let you download or play games you own through Game Pass or other channels, but you can access Game Pass Ultimate game streaming. Currently, other game stores such as Steam and PlayStation Store allow users to purchase games directly through their mobile apps, and neither app requires users to make a Play Store charge.
On Monday, Donato ruled in his final decision in Epic v. Google that the Mountain View tech giant can no longer force third-party app stores to use Google Play Billing. Google has already appealed this decision, asking the court to suspend the requested changes to the Android ecosystem while the appeal continues. Otherwise, Google has until November 3rd to make the necessary changes to the Play Store and Android.
Late last year, a jury had already declared Google’s Play Store an illegal monopoly, a domino effect that could be the biggest change in the search giant’s software empire. The court restricted Google from blocking or spending money on competing third-party app stores for the next three years.
With parts of Google’s business officially declared a monopoly, federal regulators are already plotting ways to break up the search giant into smaller, more manageable parts. The Department of Justice on Tuesday proposed a plan to end Google search’s dominance on Android, effectively separating Google’s Chrome and Android businesses. In response, Google said the proposal would violate user privacy by forcing it to share search queries, clicks and results with competitors. This ignores the relationship with Google, which owns all the data in the first place.
