Microsoft to launch its Xbox app store on iOS and Android already next year

The company aims to offer Xbox content on any platform and the Digital Markets Act may soon provide this opportunity.  

Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to launch an Xbox app store on iOS and Android devices in 2024. According to Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft's gaming division, the company wants to offer Xbox content across any screen where people want to play. Currently, it is not possible to offer the Xbox ecosystem on mobile devices, but Spencer believes that this will change in the future. He cited the Digital Markets Act, a new EU legislation that will go into effect in 2024, as one of the factors that will enable Microsoft to expand its offering to mobile devices.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Spencer noted that smartphones are the "largest platform people play on" currently. He added that it would be "pretty trivial" for Microsoft to adapt its Xbox and Game Pass apps to sell games and subscriptions on mobile devices once the regulatory hurdles are overcome. However, the company's plans are dependent on regulators approving its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which will add popular games like Call of Duty Mobile, Diablo Immortal, and Candy Crush Saga to its arsenal.

The move to offer an Xbox store on mobile devices is not surprising, given that Microsoft has been sparring with Apple over App Store rules for years. Apple's policies require that each game be listed individually on the App Store, which has prevented Microsoft from offering a dedicated cloud gaming app on the iPhone. Instead, Microsoft has been offering its Xbox Cloud Gaming service as a web-based app for iPhone and iPad users.

If Microsoft's plans are successful, iPhone users will be able to access Xbox content through a dedicated app store, making it easier for them to play their favorite games on their mobile devices. This move could potentially give Microsoft an edge over its rivals and help the company expand its reach in the mobile gaming market.