Microsoft’s plan to enable Android users to buy and play console games via the Xbox app have been delayed, seemingly due to the ongoing legal dispute between Google and Epic Games.
In a thread on BlueSky, Xbox president Sarah Bond said the company is unable to launch this new feature “due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts.”
Bond previously announced that Xbox players would be able to play and buy games directly from the platform holder’s app “starting in November,” and that this would begin on Android devices in the US.
“Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final decision,” she wrote yesterday. “We are eager to launch and give more choice and flexibility to players.”
The temporary stay appears to be from the Epic Games vs Google case, where the Fortnite firm triumphed in a jury trial last year.
As a result of Epic’s win, the judge ordered last month that Google open up its marketplace to other app stores and no longer require developers to use Google Play Billing, entitling the company to 30% cut of all transactions.
This was due to start on November 1, but Google appealed and appears to have been granted a temporary stay before it makes changes to its mobile ecosystem.
In a statement to The Verge’s own report about the Xbox delay, Google spokesperson Dan Jackson said: “Microsoft has always been able to offer their Android users the ability to play and purchase Xbox games directly from their app – they’ve simply chosen not to.
“The Court’s order, and rush to force its implementation, threaten Google Play’s ability to provide a safe and secure experience. Microsoft, like Epic, are ignoring these very real security concerns. We remain focused on supporting an ecosystem that works for everyone, not just two of the largest game companies.”
Microsoft is keen to expand its offering on mobile. It recently launched a beta for a service that will enable Xbox owners to stream games they own via smartphones, tablets, PCs and Smart TVs.
The platform holder is also working on a dedicated mobile store. Originally planned for launch this summer, it has been delayed to an unspecified date while Microsoft does further research on the mobile market.
