The month of November will mark the beginning of the players’ ability to purchase games using the app.
The Xbox App for Android will allow users to play and purchase games directly from the app beginning in November. This feature will be available to Xbox players. On X, the announcement was made by Sarah Bond, who is the head of Xbox at Microsoft. She also made a comment stating that the “court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility.” She is referring to the decision that was recently handed down by United States District Judge James Donato about the antitrust dispute that has been going on between Google and Epic Games for the past four years. A permanent order was issued by the judge, which would compel Google to grant access to the Play library to third-party app shops and to make Android applications available on alternative marketplaces.
As a result of the court’s decision to open up Google’s mobile shop in the United States, there will be more options and flexibility available. Because it is our objective to make it possible for more people to play on more devices, we are ecstatic to announce that beginning in November, gamers will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly…
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) on the 10th of October, 2024
According to CNBC, players may stream games on their mobile devices and download them to their Xbox consoles through the Android app. Additionally, customers to Game Pass Ultimate can stream games on their mobile devices. On the other hand, they are unable to purchase games directly from the app. Following the decision of the court, Google will no longer be able to compel developers to use its billing system, nor will it be permitted to prevent developers from informing members of the public about alternative payment methods that are more cost-effective. In the future, Microsoft will be able to sell games without having to pay a fee to Google, which was most likely the reason why Xbox did not sell games within its Android app. Microsoft will be able to offer titles for purchase.
A legal dispute between Epic and Google has been going on for a number of years. In the year 2023, a federal jury decided in favor of the plaintiff and came to the conclusion that Google had an unlawful monopoly on the distribution of apps and the provision of in-app billing services for Android smartphones. When Judge Donato handed down his decision, Google informed Engadget that it intends to appeal the case. The company stated that the decision “fails to take into account that Android is an open platform and developers have always had many options in how to distribute their apps.”