Expanding Horizons: Xbox Chief Phil Spencer Reveals Discussions for Mobile Store Launch on iOS and Android

In a strategic move to offer users an alternative to traditional app stores, Microsoft is reportedly in the process of developing its own Xbox mobile storefront. This initiative aims to provide users with the option to download games directly from the Xbox application, bypassing the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Earlier this year, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s gaming chief, had already hinted at the company’s intention to launch its app store for both iOS and Android. Now, according to reports from Bloomberg, Xbox is actively engaging in discussions with potential partners to materialize this vision.

Phil Spencer, in an interview at the CCXP comics and entertainment convention in Sao Paulo, suggested that the Xbox store app for mobile platforms could be on the horizon sooner rather than later. He emphasized the significance of this move, stating, “It’s an important part of our strategy and something we are actively working on today not only alone, but talking to other partners who’d also like to see more choice for how they can monetize on the phone.”

While no specific launch date was provided, Spencer hinted at a release window in the near future, expressing confidence that this development wouldn’t be years away. “I don’t think this is multiple years away, I think this is sooner than that,” he remarked. As Microsoft actively explores avenues for expanding its gaming ecosystem, the prospective Xbox mobile storefront holds the promise of reshaping the landscape of mobile gaming distribution.

A report in March had claimed that the Xbox mobile store was expected to go live by March 2024, once Microsoft’s $69 billion (roughly Rs. 5,68,094 crore) acquisition of Activision Blizzard was finalised. That happened in October as Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which had earlier blocked the deal, stepped aside and gave approval for the acquisition to go through. The CMA, which held concerns over Microsoft’s cloud streaming dominance in the market, greenlit the deal when Microsoft announced that Call of Duty maker Activision would sell its non-European streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment to pacify British regulators.

Now that the deal is closed, it seems the plan to launch the Xbox store app on iOS and Android can go through. Apple and Google maintain strict storefront rules and do not allow app developers to host their applications on a third-party storefront, charging them a cut on every transaction made via the App Store and the Play Store, respectively.

The companies’ stringent store policy has, however, come under regulatory scanner. Developers like Epic Games have initiated antitrust proceedings against the two tech giants and the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which intends to prevent tech giants from abusing their market position, is set to allow other app and game developers to introduce their own app stores on mobile platforms. Tech companies have until March 2024 to comply with all the rules laid out in the DMA.

Last month, Microsoft announced that it was partnering Inworld AI to create game development tools for the Xbox platform, enabling developers to create characters, generate entire scripts and quests, and more. Earlier this year, Xbox also hiked the prices of its popular subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and its flagship current-gen console, the Xbox Series X.