Google has an important task on the horizon: Opening the Google Play Store to competition for three years. This simply means that companies like Epic Games will be able to distribute their own app stores within the official Google app store, and also that it will not be mandatory to use the Google Play billing system. Microsoft is one of the companies that will benefit from this situation, but an unexpected setback put its plans on hold.

Context. In early October, Judge James Donato (Epic v. Google case) ruled that Google must open its app store to other stores. That’s when Xbox head Sarah Bond announced that thanks to this decision, “gamers will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox app on Android.” Well, couldn’t this have been done already? Yes but no.

Buy and play. This is the key to everything. PlayStation and Steam apps already allow you to purchase games without going through Google’s billing system. But Microsoft wants us to be able to buy it and play it nuanced. What do we need to play Xbox games on an Android mobile phone? Xbox Cloud Gaming. What do we need to access Xbox Cloud Gaming? Subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate. What about subscriptions on Android? Yes or yes, they have to go through the Google billing system. Judge James Donato’s decision changes that, and thus its significance.

Attractive. Google appealed the decision and sought a suspension of this obligation, claiming it “threatens Google Play’s ability to provide a safe and reliable user experience.” In a statement (PDF) published by Google, the company stated:

-“Forcing Google to distribute third-party app stores within Google Play would harm security and privacy.”

-“Giving hundreds of third-party Android app stores access to the Google Play app catalog reduces developers’ control over app distribution and puts users at risk.”

-“Linking to external app downloads from within an app on Google Play is dangerous”

-“Eliminating Play billing as an option reduces important protections and features that users rely on.”

-“Acting hastily in implementing solutions will increase risks for users, developers and device manufacturers.”

Microsoft is waiting. This change seems to be a situation indispensable To launch the ability to purchase and play video games in the Xbox app. “Due to the courts recently granting administrative leave, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned,” said Sarah Bond. “Our team has functionality built and ready to go as soon as the court issues its final decision,” he said in a post on Bluesky. So this feature will have to wait.

Google’s defense. In response to Bond’s remarks, Google stated: “Microsoft has always been able to offer Android users the ability to play and purchase Xbox games directly from its app, but has chosen not to do so. The court’s decision and the effort to enforce this practice are a result of Google Play’s lack of security.” Microsoft, like Epic, remains focused on supporting an ecosystem that benefits everyone, not just the largest gaming companies.

We’ll have to wait to find out the results, but it’s clear that Judge James Donato’s decision has the potential to completely change the mobile app and gaming ecosystem.

Everything is a console. Microsoft’s desire to launch this function coincides with its mission to turn every device with a screen into a video game console. As we’ve mentioned many times before, physical formats and support are now a thing of the past for Xbox, which connects everything to the cloud and digital. Being able to purchase a game and launch it directly from a mobile device is another step in this mission. In this sense, Xbox recently announced the ability to run games not on Game Pass in the cloud, which is one of the cornerstones of this new way of understanding video games.

Cover image | Microsoft

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