Pending the outcome of Google’s appeal, District Judge James Donato’s decision in Epic v. Google will change the Android ecosystem forever. Why? Google will have to open the Play Store to competition for three years, allowing users to download third-party stores directly. Additionally, developers will no longer be obligated to use Google’s payment system—a significant shift that Xbox is ready to capitalize on.
Games are coming. According to Xbox president Sarah Bond, who made the announcement on X, “Players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.” This means the Xbox app will evolve from being merely a catalog to a platform where users can purchase games. Given the significance of this move, the question is: Why now?
The key: Play and buy. Other companies, like PlayStation and Valve, already have apps on Android (PS App and Steam) that allow users to buy video games without using Google’s payment system. However, these apps don’t let users play the games. They allow purchases, but gameplay isn’t available through the apps. Xbox, on the other hand, has Xbox Cloud Gaming, a technology that enables cloud-based gameplay. This service is part of the Game Pass subscription, which offers a seamless play-and-buy experience.
As outlined in Google’s payment policy, subscription services required developers to use the Google Play payment system, which includes a commission for Google. Under this system, if Xbox wanted to create an all-in-one app that allows users to buy and play games via the cloud—such as Game Pass—it would need to go through Google’s payment system. However, following the outcome of the Epic v. Google case, this is no longer necessary.
The Kindle case. A similar situation occurs with the Kindle app, which stopped allowing users to buy or rent books or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited in 2022. The reason? Google’s policy requires apps to use the Play Store’s payment gateway and pay a commission. The forced opening of the Play Store could potentially restore these options for Kindle, Audible, and Music users.
Microsoft and its store. It’s no secret that Microsoft is developing its own app store with its own policies and fees. Initially web-based, the store will expand from there. Microsoft has important titles like Candy Crush Saga, mobile versions of Call of Duty, and Diablo. However, pulling these titles from the Google Play Store might work against Microsoft, given the massive number of downloads these games generate.
Microsoft was supposed to launch this store in July. However, its development is reportedly progressing well.
Image | Rohit Choudhari (Unsplash)
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