Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer speaks at the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany, on August 23, 2023.
Franziska Krueger | Featured in Germany | Getty Images
Microsoft Starting in November, people will be able to buy and play video games through the Xbox app for Android, the company said Thursday.
The move is a direct consequence of Monday’s ruling by a U.S. judge Google An alternative to the Google Play app store must be provided on Android devices.
Google lost a jury trial to Epic Games, which publishes the hit “Fortress Heroes.” Google said it planned to appeal and ask for a delay in implementing the decision.
“The court’s ruling on opening the Google Mobile Store in the U.S. will bring more choice and flexibility,” Sarah Bond, president of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming business, wrote in a statement. postal on X.
Bond writes that Microsoft will allow Android users to purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android. This statement does not provide information regarding third party ownership rights, e.g. Electronic Arts or Two points of interaction.
Google had no immediate comment.
Under the new model, Microsoft will be able to offer games to Android gamers without giving Google a percentage of in-app purchase revenue.
Currently, people can download games to their Xbox console through the Xbox app for Android, while those who pay for a Netflix-like Game Pass Ultimate subscription can stream games from the cloud in a different app.
The move shows that action remains a priority for Microsoft.
After a landmark antitrust case with the U.S. Department of Justice, Microsoft has been slow to make progress in mobile apps, unlike owners Google and Facebook meta platform. Last year, during a court hearing regarding its then-planned acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that if the Xbox business were to become more important , it will require mobile customers. Three months later, in October 2023, Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $75.4 billion.
Epic Games provides a store for Android apps that users can download from the private company’s website. Some games in the store support in-app purchases.
Bond did not announce plans for similar action by Microsoft Apple’s iOS devices. In March this year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, saying that restricting distribution on the App Store gave the company monopoly power. Currently, users who subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate can stream games through Apple and Google web browsers on iPhone or iPad.
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