Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Microsoft has announced that consumers can soon buy and play Xbox games via the Xbox app on Android.
- The changes go into effect from November and come after Google was forced to open up the Play Store.
A US court recently forced Google to open up the Play Store, mandating a variety of changes from November 1. Now, Microsoft has announced a couple of major changes to its Xbox app on Android.
Xbox president Sarah Bond announced on Twitter that people can buy and play Xbox games via the Xbox app on Android from next month. Check out the screenshot below.
It’s unclear why the Xbox Android app couldn’t offer game purchases in the first place. The Verge rightfully points out that the PlayStation and Steam apps allow players to purchase games. And this capability doesn’t seem to require Play Store billing or giving Google a cut of the transaction fee.
However, many Xbox games can be played on Android via the subscription-based Xbox Cloud Gaming service without the need for a console. Sony and Valve also offer game streaming functionality, but these are free solutions that stream titles from your PlayStation or PC. Google’s support page does indeed note that apps featuring subscription services are required to use Play Store billing.
Nevertheless, we’re keen to see if other major app makers will offer purchases in their apps in the wake of this Google ruling. I’m particularly interested in the Kindle app offering book purchases after this functionality got pulled in 2022.
We’ve emailed Microsoft for more details on these changes to its Xbox app on Android and will update the article accordingly.
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