Microsoft's Xbox Store on Android delayed due to court case

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According to Microsoft's plans, Xbox players should also be able to buy games on the go, for example with their Android smartphone. But this is not so easy. Although the Xbox app is available, there are still no purchase options. According to Xbox President Sarah Bond, however, this is not down to Microsoft. The functions are available, but have not yet been activated due to ongoing legal proceedings. The official mobile store for web browsers, which was originally announced for this summer, is also still not available.

At the beginning of May 2024, Microsoft announced that it would be launching its own mobile store in July - against Apple and Google. This had been planned for years, but was finally due to arrive in summer 2024 in order to be independent of app stores from Apple or Google. However, the browser-based mobile store for Xbox is still not available today. The mobile store website continues to ask for "a little patience while we prepare for the public release".

Xbox app store delayed due to Google process

The reason for this delay is not known, but now Xbox President Sarah Bond has commented to Bluesky on the Xbox app for Google's Android mobile operating system. According to Bond, the fact that it is still not possible to buy games in this app is not Microsoft's fault, as the developers had already built in the corresponding functionality. However, Microsoft still has to wait for final decisions from the courts before activating it.

Bond is apparently alluding to the legal disputes in the USA between Google and Epic Games regarding the Play Store and the payment systems on Android. At the beginning of October this year, Judge James Donato of the Federal District Court in Northern California imposed conditions on Google's app business in the USA at the request of Epic Games, which are intended to create more competition within its Play Store app platform.

Dispute over Android payment system

According to the ruling, Google may not require app developers to use the company's own payment system in the Play Store. In addition, developers must be allowed to inform users within the Google platform where their apps can be obtained outside the Play Store. The requirements only apply to the USA. The EU has its own rules for large online platforms in the form of the DMA digital law.

However, the Internet company does not agree with this, so Google is taking action against the Epic ruling on the Play Store and has filed an appeal in this antitrust case. Google's lawyers are denouncing several procedural flaws before a federal appeals court. They claim that the judge of the competent district court did not sufficiently take into account that Google is in competition with Apple and that the ordered opening of Google's ecosystem would put the company at a significant competitive disadvantage.

Google rejects the blame

This dispute over payments on Android devices is now also affecting the Xbox app, with Microsoft blaming Google for the delays. Google itself rejects this accusation, telling The Verge: "Microsoft has always been able to allow its Android users to play and purchase Xbox games directly through the app – they simply chose not to."

"The court's order and the rush to force its implementation jeopardize Google Play's ability to provide a secure experience," Google spokesman Dan Jackson continued. "Microsoft and Epic are ignoring these very real security concerns. We remain focused on supporting an ecosystem that works for everyone, not just two of the biggest gaming companies."

When the Xbox app will allow games to be purchased and when the mobile store for Xbox will be available online remains to be seen. Finally, the antitrust proceedings between Google and Epic Games could drag on. A first hearing has been scheduled for February 3, 2025.

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