After Epic Games, Xbox plans to be the next big app seller to break free of Google’s shackles. Microsoft’s gaming arm announced on Twitter that it would allow Android users to purchase games for their Xbox account through the Android Xbox app. Sure, you’re still unable to play your favorite Game Pass games on mobile unless you’re streaming, but it could prove to be Microsoft’s first step into opening its own true app store on Android phones.
In a Twitter post, Xbox President Sarah Bond said that players can purchase Xbox games through the Xbox App starting sometime in November. She explicitly referred to California federal Judge James Donato’s recent ruling in the Epic v. Google legal battle that “open[ed] up Google’s mobile store in the U.S.”
“Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices,” she said, adding, “Starting in November, Players will be able to play and purchase Xbox Games” from the Xbox app. That may be a vague promise for now, but we know that the company’s long had dreams of operating its own mobile app store. Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard also gave Xbox access to King Digital Entertainment titles, home of the still-popular Candy Crush Saga.
According to a statement to The Verge in August, the company was working on a browser-based mobile store that was “progressing” as late as August. It’s unclear if Microsoft plans to scrap the store in exchange for its revitalized app.
Currently, you have to go through the company’s web store page to purchase games or a Game Pass subscription. The Xbox app on Android doesn’t let you download or play any games you own through Game Pass or otherwise, but you can still access Game Pass Ultimate’s game streaming. Currently, fellow game shops, such as Steam and PlayStation Store, allow users to buy games directly through their mobile apps, and neither app requires users to go through Play Store billing.
On Monday, Donato’s final ruling in Epic v. Google that the Mountain View tech giant could no longer force third-party app stores to use Google Play Billing. Google has already appealed the decision, and it is asking the court for a pause on the requested changes to Android’s ecosystem while that appeal is ongoing. Otherwise, Google has until Nov. 3 to make the necessary changes to Play Store and Android.
Late last year, a jury already declared Google’s Play Store an illegal monopoly, setting up the dominos for what could become the biggest shakeup in the search giant’s software empire. The court restricted Google from putting up any roadblocks or throwing money at competing third-party app stores for the next three years.
With part of Google’s business officially declared a monopoly, the feds are already imagining ways to break the Search giant into smaller, more manageable pieces. The Department of Justice proposed a plan on Tuesday that would end Google Search dominance on Android, essentially splitting off Google’s Chrome and Android businesses. In response, Google said the proposal would hurt user privacy if they’re forced to share search queries, clicks, and results with competitors. That’s ignoring how it already concerns Google, which has all that data in the first place.
