Xbox Claims It's Blocked From Being Able to Sell and Play Its Games on Android - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 28 November 2024 / 1,909 Views
A US judge in October ordered Google to open its Android marketplace to competitors that would mean Google is not allowed to block third-party Android app stores via Google Play.
Xbox President Sarah Bond in a statement posted to Bluesky says the Xbox team has built the functionality to buy and play games via the Xbox app on Android, however, a temporary administrative stay has meant they are not able to launch these features.
"At Xbox, we want to offer players more choice on how and where they play, including being able to play and buy games directly from the Xbox app," said Bond.
"I recently shared our ambition to unlock these features first with the Google Play Store on Android devices in the U.S. while other app stores adapt to meet consumer demand.
"Due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned. Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final decision.
"We are eager to launch and give more choice and flexibility to players."
Google spokesperson Dan Jackson in a statement sent to The Verge claiming nothing is stopping Microsoft from implementing these features.
"Microsoft has always been able to offer their Android users the ability to play and purchase Xbox games directly from their app – they’ve simply chosen not to," said Jackson.
"The Court’s order, and rush to force its implementation, threaten Google Play’s ability to provide a safe and secure experience. Microsoft, like Epic, are ignoring these very real security concerns. We remain focused on supporting an ecosystem that works for everyone, not just two of the largest game companies."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.