After first announcing its intentions to launch an Android game store earlier this year, Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox app will let users buy and play games through the Xbox app starting in November.
Microsoft’s Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, tonight announced on Twitter/X that the Xbox app on Android will be updated with support for buying and playing Xbox games directly in the app. This update stems from the recent court ruling in which Google was forced to expand what mobile stores will be capable of on Android.
Bond explains:
The court’s ruling to open up Google´s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.
Previously, Microsoft had intended to launch a game store on Android through the web, but those intentions never ended up seeing an actual store launch.
It’s likely that this update will not allow for Xbox games to be played locally on Android devices, but rather available for cloud streaming. Microsoft hasn’t provided specific details just yet, though.
Google is notably appealing the court verdict that allows Microsoft to make these changes, but the decision requires Google to make changes by November 1 of this year.
More on Android:
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, and Instagram
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
