Xbox will sell games directly in the Android app next month

[Puff]

Microsoft is taking advantage of a US court ruling that forces Google to crack open Android for third-party stores.

Microsoft is planning to update its Xbox mobile app on Android to allow US users to purchase and then play Xbox games on their mobile devices next month. Following a US court ruling earlier this week that forces Google to stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps in the Play Store on November 1st, Microsoft is ready to take advantage of the changes.
“The court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility,” says Xbox president Sarah Bond in a post on X. “Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.”

Google’s Android app store is an illegal monopoly, and the search giant has been ordered to open up the Play Store to competition for three years. This means no longer forcing developers to use its own Google Play Billing after a jury found that Google had illegally tied its payment system to its app store. Google will also have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play.

Xbox store purchase support directly in the mobile Android app will allow Microsoft to sell Xbox games freely on Android devices, and integrated Xbox Cloud Gaming features mean people will be able to immediately stream games to their handsets after purchasing them.

It’s not immediately clear why Microsoft can’t already provide Xbox game purchases inside its Android mobile app, though. You can buy games from Steam or the PlayStation Store on mobile devices, so Microsoft has long been the exception here. I asked Microsoft for more details on the store changes, but the company says Bond’s statement is all it has to share right now.

Separately, Microsoft is also working on a browser-based Xbox mobile store that it was originally planning to launch in July. The store will eventually focus on first-party mobile games from Microsoft’s various studios, but initially it will feature deals and in-game items. Microsoft said in August that testing had begun on the web-based mobile store and “work is progressing well and we will have more to share in the future.”

Xbox will sell games directly in the Android app next month

Microsoft is taking advantage of a US court ruling.

www.theverge.com

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Android is an illegal monopoly and MICROSOFT of all companies is fighting against it

Let's see if Mrs. Bond has the guts to delete Candy Crush from the Play Store and sell it exclusively on her trash store nobody asked for. Another flop for Xbox incoming.

 

[Ezekiel]

PS App already does this, and includes Remote Play too.

The only new thing here is the "play" part, which I imagine will allow users to play Candy Crush locally through their app and completely bypass the Play Store.

This could also open up possibilities for Sony to offer their mobile games, like Fate/Grand Order directly from the PS App.

I also think Steam could jump at this possibility and offer some local Android games with their Android app.

 

[Would_you_kindly]

PS App already does this, and includes Remote Play too.

The only new thing here is the "play" part, which I imagine will allow users to play Candy Crush locally through their app and completely bypass the Play Store.

This could also open up possibilities for Sony to offer their mobile games, like Fate/Grand Order directly from the PS App.

I also think Steam could jump at this possibility and offer some local Android games with their Android app.

This is talking about bypassing paying Google a percentage on micro transactions for mobile games on android that Microsoft owns like all the ABK ones they just bought

 

[Would_you_kindly]

This is talking about bypassing paying Google a percentage on micro transactions for mobile games on android that Microsoft owns like all the ABK ones they just bought

After reading it , it seems it is over Xbox purchases but I've always been able to make playstation purchases through the playstation store on my android so how the fuck has it took Microsoft this long to do it

 

[Yurinka]

PS App already does this, and includes Remote Play too.

After reading it , it seems it is over Xbox purchases but I've always been able to make playstation purchases through the playstation store on my android so how the fuck has it took Microsoft this long to do it

They are talking about using the MS store to sell and download Android games (and their IAPs) directly skipping the Google 30%. That would apply for both traditional mobile games and to get Xbox games to be played in the phone via cloud. Basically what Epic and MS were fighting for against Apple and Google.

Sony doesn't sell mobile games on their app (still, very likely in the future they will) and doesn't have released the mobile client for their cloud gaming, even if they have been working on it for many years and has several related patents.

 

[Boswollox]

Microsoft taking their 400 million King customers away from Google was inevitable. They didn't buy ABK just for the AB. The K is more valuable.

 

[Jivesh1995]

They'd be dumb not to release on the Play Store as well as their own storefront. Hopefully Sony follow suit soon.

 

[Would_you_kindly]

They are talking about using the MS store to sell and download Android games (and their IAPs) directly skipping the Google 30%. That would apply for both traditional mobile games and to get Xbox games to be played in the phone via cloud. Basically what Epic and MS were fighting for against Apple and Google.

Sony doesn't sell mobile games on their app (still, very likely in the future they will) and doesn't have released the mobile client for their cloud gaming, even if they have been working on it for many years and has several related patents.

Well that's what I assumed at first but Sarah bond is saying 'xbox games' not mobile lol

 

[quest4441]

Bruh dont these people realize that 95% of the users use the default app that they are used to. Play store is ingrained in people's psyche and no one is going to individual stores to shave 10 cents off on microtransactions

 

[zapmaxvevo]

PS App already does this, and includes Remote Play too.

The only new thing here is the "play" part, which I imagine will allow users to play Candy Crush locally through their app and completely bypass the Play Store.

This could also open up possibilities for Sony to offer their mobile games, like Fate/Grand Order directly from the PS App.

I also think Steam could jump at this possibility and offer some local Android games with their Android app.

God I wish Sony spent time and effort in improving remote play, I have so many problems that makes impossible to use. From not being able to connect if I'm logged in in ps app, to never being able to connect through mobile data makes me impossible to even use the app

 

[Landiri]

Microsoft taking their 400 million King customers away from Google was inevitable. They didn't buy ABK just for the AB. The K is more valuable.

Until they realize how it won't work, and then crawl back, as always.

Sames as with the 70 Billions on ABK, just to release on PlayStation, where the real customers are

 

[Yurinka]

Bruh dont these people realize that 95% of the users use the default app that they are used to. Play store is ingrained in people's psyche and no one is going to individual stores to shave 10 cents off on microtransactions

Yes, even more than in PC with Steam. For that reason pretty likely even if Epi, MS or Sony very likely they'll continue putting their games on Google Play and the Google AppStore even if they open their own store for mobile games at least during some time until their own store reaches a certain size.

 

[Boswollox]

Until they realize how it won't work, and then crawl back, as always.

Sames as with the 70 Billions on ABK, just to release on PlayStation, where the real customers are

It can't not work. Mobile gamers don't care which label is on their whale-gatcha slop.

 

[KvallyX]

What about iOS? I would like this to work on my iPhone.