While Microsoft gave up on its smartphone operating system dreams by killing the Windows Phone OS, it is not abandoning the smartphone market altogether. The company has expanded all its cloud, gaming, and productivity services, including Bing, Microsoft 365, and Xbox, to smartphones and tablets. Now, the company is planning to bring Xbox games to smartphones in the future.
In an interview with Financial Times (via FoneArena), Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed that Microsoft wants to bring its dedicated games store to Android and iOS. Right now, Apple and Google control iOS and Android platforms, respectively. And the only way to safely download games is through App Store on iPhones and Play Store on Android. And these brands charge app/game developers 30% or more on app/game purchases, in-app purchases, and services. Hence, Netflix, Spotify, and others have stopped offering the ability to purchase their offerings directly via the App Store and Play Store.
EU’s Digital Market Act will enable Microsoft to bring its own games store to Android and iOS
The DMA (Digital Market Act), which will take effect in the EU (European Union) in March 2024, stops gatekeepers like Apple and Google from imposing unfair terms on brands and businesses. After the DMA comes into effect, other brands can offer their products and services through alternative app stores or payment gateways, so they don’t have to pay Apple or Google their usual fees.
Phil Spencer said that Microsoft wants to offer Xbox games and other content on all the screens, but it isn’t possible right now. However, Microsoft is relying on the DMA to start its own games store on Android and iOS-powered smartphones and tablets. It means that you could soon download and stream games directly from Microsoft’s store on your Galaxy smartphone and tablet.
The company has already invested a lot in buying gaming studios and publishers, including 343 Industries, Activision Blizzard, Arkane, Bethesda, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, iD Software, InXile Entertainment, Mojang (Minecraft), Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, The Coalition, Undead Labs, and ZeniMax Media. Now that it owns most of the popular games worldwide, it plans to bring them to mobile devices through its own store.
