The Xbox “mobile store” is coming in July: here’s everything we already know

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While already a video game giant, Microsoft obtained a large catalog of mobile titles after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. And now, the Redmond firm wants to offer its own video game store for smartphones. This project was made official by Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, during an event organized by Bloomberg.

This indicated that the Xbox “mobile store” will be launched in July. To start, Microsoft will offer its own titles, including Candy Crush and Minecraft. In addition, the firm will first offer this store via a web interface, and not in the form of a native application.

“We will starting on the web, and we're doing that because it really allows us to have an accessible experience on all devices, in all countries, no matter what and regardless of closed ecosystem store policies ”, Sarah Bond said.

The Xbox experience on mobile?

At the moment, we do not know exactly how this distribution of games via the web will be done. As a reminder, on Android, Microsoft has the option of offering its games in the form of .apk files that players can download and then install on their devices. Google also allows Android users around the world to install alternative app stores.

On iOS, it's more complicated. In the European Union, the Digital Markets Act required Apple to allow third-party app stores, as well as distribution of apps from the web, for certain developers. However, this is only possible in the European Union, while iOS remains a closed system in the rest of the world.

A start on the web

In any case, it is clear that for Microsoft, this mobile web store experience is only a starting point. The firm should later allow third-party developers to offer their games on this Xbox mobile store experience. Additionally, Sarah Bond's statement suggests that Microsoft is already planning to launch a real competitor to the App Store and Play Store down the road.

As The Verge recalls, Microsoft had already expressed its interest in distributing mobile games in 2023. “We want to be able to&#8217 ;bringing Xbox and content from us and our third-party partners to any screen someone would want to play on…, has said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, in an interview with the Financial Times.

• During an event organized by Bloomberg, Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox, announced the arrival of the Xbox “mobile store” in July
• In a initially, this store will be offered on the web and will be limited to Microsoft titles
• But the firm intends to distribute games from third-party developers, and seems to be planning to create a real competitor to the App Store and the Play Store

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