Microsoft is working to launch an Xbox store for Android and iOS early next year. Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s gaming division, shared the timeline in a Financial Times interview. He also added that the plan depends on regulators’ approval of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal.
EU’s Digital Market Act (DMA) will come into the effect in March 2024. It will enable other businesses to load their app stores onto iPhones and Android phones. So, Microsoft will have an opportunity to create alternative game stores for mobile platforms.
Phil Spencer said that the company aims to provide Xbox and content from our third-party partners on any device where people want to play.
“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play,” Spencer said. “Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up.”
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is still waiting for regulators’ approval. As per reports, European Union formally issued an antitrust warning to Microsoft and expressed concerns about the potential threat to fair competition in the video game market. The US Federal Trade Commission has also filed a lawsuit against Microsoft to prevent the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
