In response to a recent court ruling, Microsoft has announced that Xbox fans will soon be able to purchase and play Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android.
A judge ruled in the Epic v. Google case this week that Google will be forced to allow rival third-party app stores to exist within Google Play. This effort, spearheaded by Epic’s Tim Sweeney, means Microsoft will sell Xbox games directly to consumers beginning November 1.
The Fortnite studio convinced the court that Google made it very difficult for any rival store within Google Play to successfully compete in the market, and that’s led to this decision being handed down. As The Verge points out, it’s unclear as to why Microsoft wasn’t already selling Xbox games within its existing Android app. In any event, now that Microsoft can sell directly to consumers via its own store inside the Xbox app, it likely won’t have to pay a fee to Google that it might have needed to otherwise.
Confirming the news, Xbox president Sarah Bond said, “Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices.”
The court’s ruling to open up Google´s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. 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…
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) October 10, 2024
It is presently unknown which specific games might be available for purchase within the Xbox app. Also worth noting is that this only applies to the US for now, and that Google is appealing the verdict.
Beyond selling games within the Xbox app for Android, Microsoft is aiming to launch its own entire mobile game store at some point in the future. In other Xbox mobile news, Microsoft recently removed the dedicated Xbox Game Pass app and folded it into the main Xbox app. Microsoft is also reportedly considering including a handheld device as part of the next generation of Xbox consoles.
