Xbox To Launch Google And Apple’s Biggest Rival App Store

Microsoft announced last year that it will launch the Xbox mobile storefront in July 2024. However, the Xbox App Store will launch in November 2024.

Since last year, Microsoft has planned to launch its exclusive mobile app store for Android games. The tech giant has finally announced a final deadline in November 2024 to launch the Xbox App Store, which will provide free and paid game titles directly. This step will help the company encourage direct sales without paying hefty commissions to the two dominant entities, Google and Apple.

According to Xbox President Sarah Bond's previous statement, the Indigenous app store was originally planned to be a separate application from the Xbox app. The app was reportedly made to promote first-party titles of Microsoft’s quickly expanding mobile games. 

The new final mobile game titles were not revealed during the official announcement, except for the surety of the application beginning rolling out in November. According to the previous announcement, the Xbox app will launch with Candy Crush and Minecraft as the initial game sales on Xbox.

"We're doing that because that really allows us to have an experience accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores, and then we're going to extend from there."

- Sarah Bond

It is clear why Microsoft is starting with an Android app and has not announced anything about iOS. The fact that the Android community can download external applications makes the market much easier to enter and compete in. The recent antitrust cases on Google and Apple limiting third-party application marketplaces will help Microsoft push its iOS envelope later. 

However, multiple recent events connect impressive dots around the company’s efforts to enter the mobile gaming market. Xbox recently opened its arms to developers, whether they make the Xbox titles or not, to partner with its product team for deeper insights and faster tool/service improvement efforts. This initiative indicates Microsoft is prioritizing mobile game apps as a new potential revenue stream beyond consoles.