Summary
- More Xbox games are coming to Android devices starting November 1.
- The announcement comes following a recent court ruling making it easier for customers to install third-party apps on their smartphones.
- It's unclear which games will be making the leap to mobile.
Microsoft will start bringing more Xbox games to Android mobile devices following a recent court ruling. Xbox has been looking to branch out onto other platforms over the past few years thanks to Xbox Game Pass, which offers up a wide selection of titles on both Xbox consoles and PC. Since 2020, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have been able to stream titles on Android and iOS-compatible mobile devices through Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Meanwhile, one of Xbox Game Pass’s biggest PC competitors has been engaged in a major legal battle against Google and Samsung. In late September, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against these tech giants in response to what it considers anticompetitive and illegal behavior, claiming that Google and Samsung are exploiting the latter’s Auto Blocker feature to make it more difficult for customers to install third-party apps like Epic Games Store. This in turn may lead to Google and Samsung having a monopoly on Google’s App Store, and Epic has accused the companies of using this to circumvent a previous court ruling.
Earlier this week, a judge ruled in favor of Epic, and the results already seem to have huge ramifications for Microsoft in its efforts to expand the Xbox brand. As reported by The Verge, Microsoft is planning to update its Xbox Android mobile app in the wake of the ruling, allowing players to purchase and play games on their mobile devices starting on November 1. Xbox president Sarah Bond addressed this news in a Twitter post, saying that the decision to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will “allow more choice and flexibility” and that Xbox’s mission has been to “allow more players to play on more devices.”
Xbox Games Are Coming to Android Devices Starting in November 2024
This ethos has fueled many of Microsoft’s decisions regarding Xbox Game Pass over the past few years, and Xbox might not be stopping with PC and mobile platforms. Xbox has started to release first-party titles like the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PlayStation 5, with some rumors even claiming that the flagship Halo franchise might make the jump in the future. Meanwhile, Microsoft is reportedly planning to develop a handheld gaming system as part of its next generation of consoles, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Microsoft is also working on a browser-based Xbox mobile storefront, with testing reportedly already underway. Additionally, Xbox recently absorbed its Xbox Game Pass mobile app into the main Xbox app. As for this recent announcement, there is currently no word regarding which Xbox games will be available to buy on Android devices next month, and the Google verdict that led to this development only applies to the US market for the time being.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info