Well, at long last it looks like Microsoft finally got their wish! After a very lengthy delay, an actual store has appeared in the beta version of the Xbox app, meaning Xbox gamers can finally browse and wishlist games on the go, rather than searching for specific titles and then making a purchase.
Per an alert that pops up in the Xbox Beta app, users are alerted to the new change. “Introducing Store and Wishlist,” it reads. “Shop games and add-ons with the new ability to add them to your wishlist. Use the search bar at the top of the page to find new games, add-ons, and friends.” Worth noting, you’ve always (to my knowledge) been able to buy games to download on your console, but there was never a fully featured store – or wishlisting for that matter.
Indeed, it’s been a long time coming, with Xbox President Sarah Bond first announcing the feature all the way back in May of 2024. During an interview with Bloomberg’s Dina Bass, Sarah shared the feature was coming. But then…nothing happened. A placeholder of sorts went up in late July on the web, but it wasn’t exactly what was promised.
One of the big reasons it didn’t happen was due to Apple and Android policies, that specifically prohibited ‘in-app purchases’ that you could then play, via cloud. To get around this, Xbox decoupled cloud gaming from the Xbox app, into its own cloud streaming app instead, but we still didn’t have a proper store page, nor did we have wishlisting functionality.
We had nothing but silence until May of this year, where Microsoft laid some of the blame on Apple. Microsoft filed a legal brief in support of Epic Games as part of Apple’s appeal against the ruling that saw Fortnite finally return to the Apple App Store (Eventually). The point of the brief was to aid the court by providing additional, relevant information or arguments – and they make it clear that Microsoft blames Apple for the delays on the Xbox Mobile Store.
In that brief, Microsoft specifically targeted Apple’s appeal in the ongoing Epic Games court battle, and Tom Warren over at The Verge detailed what was going on, saying “The district court’s injunction allows Apple to maintain its in-app exclusivity but at least should have enabled Microsoft to offer consumers a workable solution by launching its own online store — accessible via link-out — for in-app items to be purchased off-app and used in games or other apps. And that is what Microsoft wants to do. But even this solution has been stymied by Apple. Prior to the district court’s most recent order, Microsoft had been unable to implement linked-out payments (or even inform customers that alternative purchase methods exist) because of Apple’s new anti-steering policies that restrict Microsoft’s communication to users and impose an even higher economic cost to Microsoft than before the injunction.“
It seems that last barrier has been overcome – at least on Android (we’re checking for the Apple version), and finally Xbox gamers can do what honestly, feels like they should have been able to do all along.
How do you feel about finally having a proper Xbox store on your cell phone? Let us know in the XboxEra Forums or make some noise in the lively XboxEra Community Discord Server. If you’re looking to be a bigger part of an amazing community, then either choice is a good one!
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