Google’s recent loss in court against Epic Games will open up the Android platform to alternative app stores. Xbox also plans to launch its own service in the near future.
Image source: xbox
Let us recall that an American judge ordered Google to provide equal conditions to third-party application stores for three years (from November 1, 2024 to November 1, 2027) and not force developers to use the Google Play Billing payment system.
Xbox President Sarah Bond commented on the situation on her microblog. According to her, the court’s decision to open Google’s mobile store in the United States will give users more flexibility and freedom of choice.
«Our mission is to enable gamers to play on more devices, so we’re excited to announce that starting in November, users will be able to buy and play Xbox games directly through the Xbox app on Android,” Bond said.
As Video Games Chronicle journalists noted, it is unclear from Bond’s statement which games will be available for purchase in the Xbox app and whether the feature will extend beyond the United States.
Meanwhile, Google has already announced plans to appeal the court’s decision. According to the company, it will jeopardize the security and privacy of users, make it more difficult for developers to promote applications and weaken competition.
It was previously reported that Microsoft is working on a mobile app store that would include projects from various Xbox studios and in-game items. Testing of the browser version started in August.