Microsoft revealed its plans to launch a dedicated Xbox mobile gaming store. The gaming store, which will help Microsoft to compete with Apple and Google, currently dominating the app store market, now has a release date. Check out the details.
Xbox Mobile Gaming Store Launch: Everything Announced
Microsoft’s President of Xbox Gaming, Sarah Bond, announced a new mobile game store launching in July. This app positions itself as an alternative to established platforms like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Bond also addressed strategies to navigate Apple’s well-known restrictions on third-party app stores.
The Xbox game store will initially launch its popular titles like Candy Crush Saga (from King) and Minecraft (from Mojang). As stated by Bond, an extensive first-party portfolio of Xbox games including COD titles will also be coming to the store before opening its service to other publishers.
Sarah Bond, @Microsoft’s Xbox president, announced at #BloombergTech that the company will launch its own mobile game store in July, creating an alternative to Apple and Google’s app stores pic.twitter.com/hj6eLtsGfl
— Bloomberg Live (@BloombergLive) May 9, 2024
It is further revealed that the store will debut as a web-based platform, allowing everyone to access the app store across every device and country. This will help Microsoft bypass limitations imposed by established app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store which charge an approximate 30% fee on sales.
Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox Mobile Store reflects a strategic vision to extend the full Xbox experience to mobile devices, aligning with Xbox President Bond’s emphasis on a unified, cross-platform gaming ecosystem.
While the competitive positioning of this initial web-based offering remains unclear, Xbox President Sarah Bond suggests future expansion beyond the web platform. This hints at Microsoft’s long-term goal, as previously articulated by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, to establish a true rival to Google and Apple’s mobile app stores, ultimately achieving their vision of offering games “across any screen.”
Bond’s news follows Microsoft’s closure of several Bethesda studios, including Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), Arkane Austin (Redfall) and more. This decision sparked controversy, with reasons cited as resource reallocation and project management overload within Xbox Game Studios.
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