• Microsoft’s Xbox mobile store will debut with its first-party games like Candy Crush and Minecraft, starting on the web for global accessibility.
  • The company plans to extend the store to include partner games in the future, aiming for a comprehensive gaming experience across devices and regions.
  • Microsoft’s vision includes creating a unified gaming platform where user identity and content seamlessly travel across devices, challenging existing ecosystem limitations.

Microsoft has confirmed plans to launch its long-awaited Xbox mobile gaming store in July, starting with first-party games.

Microsoft’s Xbox mobile store will launch with its first-party games

During the Bloomberg Technology Summit, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced the launch date and discussed Microsoft’s strategy to circumvent Apple’s strict App Store policies.

“We’re going to start by bringing our own first-party portfolio to the Xbox mobile store, so you’re going to see games like Candy Crush show up in that experience, games like Minecraft,” says Bond. “We’re going to start on the web, and we’re doing that because that really allows us to have it be an experience that’s accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what and independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.”

Initially, the store will showcase Microsoft’s first-party mobile games, such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush Saga, with plans to include partner games in the future.

Also read: Google deepMind launches new AI for drug discovery

Also read: Apple enhances Vision Pro apps browsing experience

Microsoft plans to build a seamless Xbox experience across devices

Beyond games, the Xbox mobile store aims to offer a comprehensive Xbox experience, ensuring continuity across devices.

Bond highlighted the absence of a unified gaming platform that seamlessly integrates user profiles, libraries, and rewards across ecosystems.

While launching a web-only mobile store poses challenges, Microsoft hints at expanding beyond the web interface to compete with Google and Apple’s app stores.

The company’s vision is to create a unified gaming platform where user identity and content travel seamlessly across devices, challenging the current ecosystem limitations.