Android Xbox app in the US will soon start selling games
Earlier this week, a US court ruled that Google is running a monopoly with its Google Play Store (via The Verge) and has ordered the company to open the store to competition for three years, allowing third-party app stores to be distributed on the platform. Google has also been told to stop forcing apps available on the Google Play store to use Google Play Billing after a jury found it to be an illegal requirement.
Following the ruling, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced some interesting news on X for Xbox owners: “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 from the Xbox App on Android.”
It’ll be interesting to see if this means Microsoft’s plans to allow us to stream our owned non-Game Pass games via Xbox Cloud Gaming will finally roll out. Back in February, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that the long-awaited feature should be coming this year, and this could be a great time for it.
Last month, Microsoft announced it’s discontinuing the Xbox Game Pass app on mobile and folding the service into the Xbox app. The update will roll out to Xbox beta members on mobile first, but you’ll no longer be able to download the Xbox Game Pass app from next month. With news of an Xbox store coming to the main mobile app and the inclusion of Game Pass, it looks like the Xbox app will become a one-stop shop for fans.
Microsoft also has its own Xbox mobile store in the works, and although it was supposed to launch in July, it is apparently “coming soon.”