Microsoft has long worked on the Xbox mobile store for Android and iOS platforms. The Xbox Store app will allow users to bypass Google’s Play Store and Apple’s app store and buy and launch games directly in Microsoft’s own apps. Although the company plans to launch the Xbox app on Android in November, Xbox parents can’t do that as they stayed on a court order in October directing Google to open its gaming store and allow competition.
Xbox Storefront Delay on Android
Xbox CEO Sarah Bond said in a topic on Thursday that Microsoft cannot launch features that will allow Android users to buy and play games directly from the Xbox App, due to court Stay on Play Store Operahaul Overhaul Orders.
“At Xbox, we want to give players more options on how and where they are, including being able to play and buy games directly from the Xbox app,” Bond said in a post on the platform.
“Recently, I shared our ambition to unlock these features first in the Google Play store on Android devices in the United States, while other App stores adapt to meet consumer needs.
“We are currently unable to initiate these features as planned due to the temporary administrative stay recently granted by the Court. After the Court makes its final decision, our team has the built-in features and is ready to go live.”
3/4: We are currently unable to activate these features as planned due to the temporary administrative stay recently granted by the Court. After the court makes its final decision, our team has the built-in features and is ready to go live.
— Bondsarahbond (@bondsarahbond.bsky.social.social) November 28, 2024 at 2:45 AM
Bond said Microsoft is eager to launch the Xbox app and provide players with more choice and flexibility. The Xbox president said just as much in October, when a U.S. court ordered Google to overhaul its Play Store policy so Android users can buy and download apps from other markets. Bond had said at the time that Android users would be able to start from November Buy and play games from the Xbox app on the platform.
“The court’s ruling to open Google’s mobile store in the United States will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play games on more devices, so we’re happy to share that starting in November, players will Ability to play Xbox Games directly from the Xbox App on Android,” Bond said in an article on X. .
However, in a statement to The Verge, a Google spokesperson said Microsoft could provide Android users with the ability to buy and play games from Xbox apps, but the company chose not to. “The court orders and rush to force it to implement them, threaten Google Play’s ability to provide a security and secure experience. Like Epic, Microsoft is ignoring these very real security issues. “We are still focused on supporting a suitable one for all,” a spokesperson said. The human ecosystem, not just the two largest gaming companies. ”
Ruling on Google’s Play Store
Xbox Mobile Marketplace is the latest flash point in the controversial antitrust minefield (Apple) and Google’s strict mobile app storefront policies, allegedly thwarting competition on its respective platforms. Fortnite Maker Epic Games has filed antitrust lawsuits against both companies through Play Store and App Store rules that enforce commissions on each purchase and prohibit alternative storefronts.
In October, a U.S. court ordered Google to overhaul the play store to provide Android users with alternative stores to download apps. Users will be able to pay for their transactions within competitor stores. By order, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has said that the Epic Games store and other app stores will appear on Google Play in 2025.
However, Google received a temporary stay under court orders a few weeks later, after the tech giant argued that the company would harm the company and introduced “severe security, security and privacy risks into the Android ecosystem.”
In March 2023, Microsoft Games CEO Phil Spencer said the company will launch its own Xbox Games and third-party content App Store on iOS and Android. Initially, the store is expected to be launched in March 2024.
Spencer said later that year that Microsoft was in talks with third-party partners, claiming that the Xbox Mobile Storefront might launch faster than earlier. It was reported that the interview was at that time.
