Microsoft may launch the Xbox Mobile App Store next year
Microsoft is steadily building its plans to enter the mobile gaming ecosystem with its own mobile app store, which is expected to launch in 2024, according to the latest reports. Xbox chief Phil Spencer said the app store is being built to compete with giants like Google and Apple.
Microsoft has been absent from the mobile segment ever since it discontinued the Windows Phone platform. Now having an Xbox app store for mobile makes business sense. And it’s easy to see why Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal matters a lot. Xbox could benefit greatly from the mobile games that come with the acquisition, and Spencer, speaking on the app store this week, suggests the deal could eventually go through.
Microsoft’s biggest challenge in the app store is how the company can make its app store work on Android or iOS devices. The EU bill forces iOS to allow third-party app stores on iPhones, while Google has been ordered to make such changes to demonstrate that it does not violate competition laws in many countries.
The EU has planned these radical changes under the Digital Markets Act, which could mean users can download apps and app stores from other companies onto their smartphones. “The Digital Markets Act that’s coming – the kind of things that we’re planning, I think that’s a huge opportunity,” the Financial Times quoted Spencer as saying.
Microsoft is putting all of its eggs in one basket in the hopes that the Activision deal will gain traction, which is likely to happen in the EU, according to reports, but it may struggle to break into its home market. In any case, users will be happy with the additional options, and Microsoft could finally increase its presence in the mobile gaming segment.
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