HHW Gaming: Microsoft Really Wants To Bring It’s Own Xbox App Store To iPhone
Written by djfrosty on March 21, 2023
Source: SOPA Images / Getty / Xbox
Microsoft is working hard to get Xbox on as many platforms as possible, including smartphones. That could be a reality soon, but it all hinges on one big thing.
Speaking with the Financial Times, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer, spoke on the company’s ambition to bring an Xbox Games Store to the iPhone sometime this year, but that all depends on current regulatory measures.
The biggest roadblock is Microsoft’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, currently in limbo, according to the chief executive of Microsoft Gaming, that would give the tech giant a wide portfolio of mobile games. The app store’s launch also hinges on the EU’s Digital Markets Act plus other regulations that will allow for the enforcement of other app stores to appear on iOS.
“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play,” Spencer said to the Financial Times. “Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices, but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up.”
Apple Is Preparing For The Launch of Alternative Store Apps on The iPhone
Apple, who is notoriously protective of its sh*t, is prepping iOS for the upcoming change by preparing to allow alternative app stores on the iPhone to comply with the Digital Markets Act that reportedly coming into play in March 2024, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Gurman further reports Apple will roll out the changes with iOS 17 updates for iPhone next year in Europe only so that still leaves American iPhone users out of the loop.
Currently, you can access Xbox games on your mobile devices through the Xbox Cloud Gaming’s web client, and while it works smoothly depending on certain factors like internet connection, it’s not as stable as a dedicated app would be.
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Photo: SOPA Images / Getty