Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, speaks at the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 23, 2023.
Franziska Krug | German Select | Getty Images
Microsoft will allow people to buy and play video games through its Xbox app for Android starting in November, the company said on Thursday.
The move is an immediate consequence of a U.S. judge ruling on Monday that Google will have to present alternatives to its Google Play app store on Android devices.
In the jury trial, Google lost against Epic Games, which publishes the popular Fortnite. Google said it intends to appeal and request a delay in implementing the decision.
“The court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the U.S. will allow more choice and flexibility,” wrote Sarah Bond, president of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming business, in a post on X.
Microsoft will allow Android users to purchase “Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android,” Bond wrote. The statement did not provide information on titles from third parties such as Electronic Arts or Take-Two Interactive.
Google did not immediately provide a comment.
Under the new model, Microsoft will be able to provide titles to gamers on Android without having to give Google a percentage of revenue from in-app purchases.
Currently, people can download games to Xbox consoles through the Xbox app for Android, and those who pay for the Netflix-like Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions can stream games from the cloud in a different app.
The move indicates that mobile remains a priority for Microsoft.
After a landmark antitrust case with the U.S. Justice Department, Microsoft was slow to gain traction with mobile apps, unlike Google and Facebook owner Meta Platforms. During a court hearing last year regarding its then-planned acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s CEO of gaming, said in a court hearing that if the Xbox business was going to become more relevant, it would need mobile customers. Three months later, in October 2023, Microsoft completed the Activision acquisition for $75.4 billion.
Epic Games provides a store for Android apps that users download from the privately held company’s website. Some games in the store support in-app purchases.
Bond did not announce plans for a similar move by Microsoft for Apple’s iOS devices. In March, the U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust case against Apple that said limiting distribution to the App Store gives the company monopoly power. Currently, users with Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions can stream games through Apple and Google web browsers on the iPhone or the iPad.
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