Key Takeaways
- Xbox delays direct game purchases on Android due to court decision.
- Google disputes Xbox’s claims, stating the console giant chose not to enable the feature.
Xbox President Sarah Bond has claimed that a stay in the rulings of the Epic vs. Google lawsuit delayed the original timeline for enabling game purchases directly via the Xbox app. Last month, the Xbox chief announced this feature was planned to roll out for Android users in November.
Back in October, the outcome of Epic Games’s antitrust lawsuit against Google resulted in the Android owner being required to implement an array of changes to encourage fair competition. A major highlight among the court’s rulings involves Google being required to allow third-party app markets on its Play Store—starting November 1, 2024—for a period of three years. In the aftermath of this decision, Bond had chipped in to announce the arrival of game purchases on Xbox’s Android app in the following month. However, with the original launch window for this feature nearing its end, the Xbox chief has now shared the reason for the no-show.
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On Bluesky, Bond revealed that Xbox’s temporary inability to roll out game purchases for Android users was down to a recent “administrative stay,” given by the court to Google. She continued that the work on the console giant’s end was already done, saying that the feature was “ready to go live” and that the court’s “final decision” regarding the latest rulings was awaited. Underlining the Microsoft-owned firm’s supposed excitement, the Xbox head shared that the team was keen to bring “more choice and flexibility” for players. Interestingly, Google, on the other hand, has reportedly dismissed the presence of any such hurdle.
Xbox Claims New Court Decision Delayed Android App Update, While Google Denies the Same
Despite Xbox holding the latest court instruction responsible for the postponement of its initial plan, Google has denied this claim, as per The Verge. Reiterating its previous statement, the search engine giant reportedly said that Xbox has always been in a position to offer game purchases directly through its Android app and that the console giant has “simply chosen not to” do so. Google’s comment noted that the new changes required by the court hamper the ability to provide a “safe and secure experience” for Play Store users. Further, the Sundar Pichai-led company called out Microsoft and Epic Games for looking over these “real security concerns.”
Given that major gaming firms PlayStation and Steam have offered direct purchases via their respective Android apps for a long time, it seems almost peculiar that Xbox hasn’t been able to offer the same functionality. As for Epic Games, its legal faceoff with Google is set to continue but on a different matter that also concerns Samsung.