Microsoft plans to update its Xbox mobile app on Android to allow US users to purchase Xbox games and then play them on their mobile devices next month. Following a US court ruling earlier this week forcing Google to stop charging Google Play for apps in the Play Store from November 1, Microsoft is poised to benefit from the changes.
“The court’s decision to open Google’s mobile store in the US will enable more choice and flexibility,” said Xbox President Sarah Bond in a post on X. “Our mission is to enable more players to play on more devices “So we’re thrilled.” 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 the Play Store to competition for three years. This means developers will no longer be forced to use their own Google Play billing after a jury found that Google illegally tied its payment system to its App Store. Google also has to distribute competing third-party app stores within Google Play.
Direct Xbox Store purchasing support in the Android mobile app allows Microsoft to sell Xbox games for free on Android devices. Built-in Xbox Cloud Gaming features allow users to instantly stream games to their mobile phones after purchase.
However, it's not immediately clear why Microsoft can't already offer Xbox game purchases in its Android mobile app. On mobile devices you can buy games via Steam or the PlayStation Store, so Microsoft has long been the exception here. I asked Microsoft for more details about the store changes, but the company says Bond's statement is all it has to share at this time.
Separately, Microsoft is also working on a browser-based Xbox Mobile Store, which was originally scheduled to launch in July. The store will ultimately focus on first-party mobile games from Microsoft's various studios, but initially there will be deals and in-game items. Microsoft said in August that testing for the web-based mobile store had begun and “the work is progressing well and we will have more to share in the future.”
Update, October 11th: The article has been updated to note that Microsoft is not providing any further details about the changes to Xbox Mobile for Android.