Microsoft delays Xbox Android store after US court temporarily pauses Google Play remedies

Microsoft has delayed its Xbox Android store after a US judge temporarily paused remedies from Epic Games' case against Google that ruled the Play store had become an illegal monopoly.

Google had previously been ordered to open up the Play Store to rival marketplaces while giving them access to the full library of Google Play apps. On top of that, for a period of three years from November 1st, Google was ordered to allow the use of alternative payment methods.

That order was largely delayed to allow time for Google to make appropriate changes. However, it still prevents Google from blocking rival app stores’ pre-installation through deals with carriers or manufacturers.

"Ready to go"

Taking to Bluesky, Xbox president Sarah Bond said the Android store was ready to go live “as soon as the court makes a final decision”. Bond had previously stated players would be able to start purchasing Xbox games from the Xbox app on Android this month.

“At Xbox, we want to offer players more choice on how and where they play, including being able to play and buy games directly from the Xbox app,” said Bond.

“I recently shared our ambition to unlock these features first with the Google Play Store on Android devices in the U.S. while other app stores adapt to meet consumer demand.

“Due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned. Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final decision.

“We are eager to launch and give more choice and flexibility to players.”

Another delay

Bond announced back in May that Microsoft would launch an Xbxo mobile games store on the web in July this year. She said the company wanted to create a true, cross-platform, game-centric mobile experience".

The store was said to include titles like Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft, before opening up to other publishers.

“We talk a lot about how there are three billion gamers around the world,” said Bond back in May.

“Two of those billion play on mobile, and half of those actually play on mobile and they play on another device.

“But there isn’t actually a gaming platform and store experience that is centred around players and goes truly across device, where who you are, your library, your identity, your rewards, but that travels with you , versus being locked to a single ecosystem.

“And we’ve recognised that opportunity for a long time, but we wanted to make sure that anything we built was really grounded in people who play those mobile native games and the creators of them.”