Microsoft has announced the Xbox mobile store, a gaming store that it said will be “independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.” Scheduled for launch in July this year, the store will initially feature mobile games from Microsoft and its various studios. Speaking at the Bloomberg Technology Summit, Xbox president Sarah Bond said the company will extend the store to partners as well.
Microsoft Xbox mobile store: What is it?
Microsoft calls it a cross-platform gaming-centric mobile experience, which will initially be available in the form of a web client to enable accessibility across platforms, devices, and countries. Moreover, the store is said to be independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores. In future, however, there could be a dedicated app, too.
Microsoft Xbox mobile store: Games catalogue
Microsoft said it will start by bringing its own first-party portfolio, including games such as Candy Crush and Minecraft. Microsoft is expected to offer premium gaming titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile from Activision Blizzard too. Microsoft said the company will extend this to partners at some point in the future, too.
Microsoft Xbox mobile store: Key differentiators
Microsoft emphasised on the Xbox experience while announcing the launch of the Xbox mobile store, possibly indicating that the store will be more than just the games distribution platform. Sarah Bond said there is not a gaming platform that “goes truly across devices — where who you are, your library, your identity, your rewards travel with you versus being locked to a single ecosystem.”
Microsoft Xbox mobile store: How it will work
Since the Xbox mobile store is set to debut in the form of a web client, it is anticipated to require side loading option for the games to run natively on the devices. Side loading is supported on Android devices but not on Apple iOS-based iPhones. Clearly, Microsoft is anticipating that Google and Apple will eventually open up their ecosystems for third-party app stores.
In view of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which kicked in from March this year, Apple eased its policies allowing alternative app stores on iPhones and developers to opt out of using its in-app payment system.
“We’re providing more flexibility for developers who distribute apps in the European Union, including introducing a new way to distribute apps directly from a developer’s website,” Apple said in a blogpost.
However, the changes apply to iPhones sold in Europe only.
Alternatives
While there are storefronts available for games on PCs and Macs, the mobile ecosystem is dominated by stores tied to platforms. For example, Apple’s Arcade is tied to its App Store and Google’s Play Games to Play Store. Therefore, the Microsoft Xbox game store is anticipated to be one-of-its-kind platform that will not be tied to any particular ecosystem.
Market size
The global mobile gaming market gets talked about less than PC and console gaming but it makes nearly as much money as the PC and console sectors put together. According to a report by data analytics platform Statista, dated April 24, mobile gaming is set to surpass $173.4 billion by 2026 as mobile adoption and smartphone usage continue to hit new peaks.
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