After a U.S. court ruled earlier this week that Google must open the Play Store to allow third-party app stores and alternative payment options, Microsoft is taking advantage of this slightly open door. It is moving rapidly to slide in.
Xbox President Sarah Bond posted on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday night that the ruling “gives us more options and flexibility.” “Our mission is to help more players play on more devices, which is why we’re excited to announce that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android. I am happy to share this with you,” Bond wrote.
The court order requires Google to stop forcing apps to use its own billing system and allow third-party app stores within Google Play, so Microsoft will no longer be able to integrate Xbox games into its own apps. It will be provided directly through. While most games may not run directly on Android, the improved Xbox Android app also lets you stream purchased or subscribed games directly to your Android device.
Up until now, buying Xbox games (or most games) on your mobile device has been done either by navigating to the web-based store in your browser while avoiding trying to open the store’s official app on your phone, or by simply going to a different device. It was common to use either It’s entirely to buy games and play or stream them on your phone.
