Microsoft is jumping right into the aftermath of the latest court ruling against Google and its Play Store in Epic Games' lawsuit by offering Xbox games to be purchased and played on the Android version of its app. The Redmond-based software giant is taking advantage of Google's vulnerable position as a U.S. judge ruled against its exclusivity on the Play Store's payment system and app marketplace control.
Epic Games kicked open the door for third-party app marketplaces and developers to have control over where to distribute their apps via Android, including a way to bypass the in-app purchases on the platform.
Microsoft to Sell Xbox Games on Android App Starting Next Month
Xbox President Sarah Bond shared the latest move of the gaming company and Microsoft toward selling Xbox games on Android, allowing a new gaming experience for the mobile market. It was further revealed by Bond that starting this November, the Xbox app will soon offer its plethora of mobile games for Android users to enjoy.
The American gaming company immediately made its move toward making Xbox games available on Android, taking advantage of the recent win by Epic Games against Google for its monopolistic tactic on the mobile experience.
The court's ruling against Google will take effect starting Nov. 1, and while Microsoft may be among the first to claim its new Android experiences, other developers may also follow suit including Epic Games and more.
Epic Games Paved the Way to Breaking Google Play's Monopoly
The Epic v. Google case recently concluded with a resounding win for Epic Games, effectively opening up the Play Store to other app marketplaces and payment methods that were previously under a Google monopoly.
Epic's efforts in the case opened up the floodgates that will allow other developers to jump in and join a more balanced competition in the Android landscape, especially as it was found that Google also offers money and perks to those who opt for the Play Store.
Third-Party App Marketplaces and their Accessibility
Google's Android may allow sideloading via website downloads of APKs for the apps that can run on its operating system, but the recent case presented by Epic exposed how it still has massive control on the market against third-party app marketplaces. In this lawsuit, Epic argued that Google is monopolizing the Android app marketplace by pushing its Play Store as the exclusive choice, trumping other developers.
Over the past months, Apple and Epic Games also saw a legal battle over the European region after significant events that transpired, especially as the game-developing company pushed its third-party app marketplace for EU residents to access. Initially, Apple took down Epic Games' developer account on the App Store but later reinstated them, allowing Epic to bring "Fortnite" back to iOS exclusively in the region.
Epic Games has been the purveyor of cracking open app marketplaces from the big tech companies, but the company has yet to make its return to iOS in the U.S. region after being blocked and seeing unfavorable results in previous suits. However, it took a recent win after the federal judge sided with it in the case against Google, benefitting the likes of Microsoft to open up a new Android experience that is not bounded by the Play Store.
