Microsoft executive Sarah Bond announced a few weeks ago that “players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android” in November. The feature remains unavailable, despite the fact that it is nearly December. However, Bond maintains that Microsoft is not to blame.
The issue, as she explains, is that Microsoft would only be able to do so after a court order is enforced that mandates significant changes to Google’s Play Store on Android, such as the elimination of the requirement for applications to use Google Play Billing and the opening of the store to competition.
On October 18th, Judge James Donato granted Google’s request for a stay while it appeals his ruling that the Android app store is an unlawful monopoly. This situation could remain uncertain for an extended period. Bond referenced this in a thread on Bluesky today, stating, “We are currently unable to launch these features as planned due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts.” The functionality has been developed and is prepared for deployment upon the court’s final decision.
For years, Microsoft has been formulating its mobile app store strategy. Nevertheless, the company has not yet provided a clear explanation for the situation that inhibits it from offering Xbox game purchases, as it does with Steam and PlayStation, in addition to its integrated Xbox Cloud Gaming features, despite the frustration for gamers.
Additionally, we are unable to provide an update on the status of its browser-based mobile store, which remains in the “coming soon” state, as it did in August.
