Are you eagerly waiting for Microsoft’s Xbox mobile game store to be launched? Well, you won’t have to wait too long as the company is gearing up to release the store as early as next year. The tech giant revealed its plans for an Xbox mobile store last year, and now Xbox chief Phil Spencer has confirmed that the company is building the store in anticipation of a future where mobile app stores like Apple and Google are forced to open up.
Microsoft is planning to launch an app store for mobile games on iPhones and Android smartphones, according to Phil Spencer (as reported by Financial Times), the head of its Xbox division. The app store will offer Xbox content from both first-party and third-party partners, allowing users to play games across any screen they choose. If the acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes ahead, the Xbox Mobile Game Store could launch next year.
Xbox Mobile Game Store to Launch in 2024, Hints Microsoft’s Head of Gaming
The EU’s Digital Markets Act is expected to come into effect in March 2024, which requires Apple and Google to open up their mobile platforms to app stores owned and operated by other companies. Apple and Google are likely to be labeled by the DMA as “gatekeepers,” necessitating that they alter the policies that control how applications are distributed on iPhones and Android devices.
According to Spencer, Microsoft has great potential with the DMA. The Xbox Mobile Game Store may increase competition on the “biggest platform people play on,” which is the smartphone, where Apple and Google have a stranglehold on the distribution of games and other apps. Microsoft may be able to convince users to switch from Apple’s and Google’s marketplaces to the Xbox Mobile Game Store by allowing third-party app stores on mobile devices.
While the 2024 release date may seem far off, it is important to note that the store’s launch will coincide with the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act. This means that Microsoft will be able to debut the Xbox Mobile Game Store on iOS and Android as early as March 2024.
This move is a strategic one for Microsoft, which has been attempting to expand its gaming presence across multiple platforms in recent years. By opening up its Xbox Mobile Game Store on iOS and Android, Microsoft will be able to reach a wider audience of mobile gamers, allowing them to access Xbox content on the go.
