The popular Xbox feature is making a comeback

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Important takeaways

  • The Xbox app on Android will allow game purchases again due to court rulings.
  • Xbox fans excited about more flexibility; some concerns about phasing out consoles.
  • Apple users may feel left out as the iOS version lacks in-app purchase functionality.



The ability to buy and play games on Xbox app on Android will come back. The popular feature has been missed by many fans of the Xbox family of consoles using Android mobile devices.

This change comes in the wake of a California jury ruling against Google, declaring that the company has an illegal monopoly over the Android Play store. As a result of this ruling, Google cannot ban in-app payment methods for at least three years and must allow access to third-party Android app stores.

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Taking to Twitter, Xbox President Sarah Bond announced the upcoming features. In a brief statement, the president explained that the recent court ruling regarding Google's Play Store allows for “more choice and flexibility,” and that as a result, Xbox will offer Android users the ability to purchase and play games directly through the Xbox app on their phones. Players will also be able to redeem codes through the app. These features will arrive sometime in November, although Bond did not specify the exact date they would be made available.



Xbox fans react to app news

Xbox fans seem to be primarily happy to hear the news, especially those on the Android app. But there are still some complaints from some of Xbox's user base. Some have lamented that this appears to be another step in the perceived direction of Xbox killing off its own consoles in favor of letting users stream or use other devices entirely to play their games. Some have also taken the opportunity to take shots at Xbox to shut down developers like Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.


Others have also complained that these features aren't available on iOS versions of the Xbox app either, and there's no word on that changing, so Apple fans are feeling left out. But judging by the tweet, it's likely that these changes will come now because Xbox will be able to sell games to users with in-app purchases, rather than routing them through Google Play Billing and thereby giving up a portion of the profits. Apple hasn't changed in this regard, so Xbox has to either raise prices on the platform or see losses on every game sold through the app to Apple users.

For now, Android users will have to wait and see when exactly this update arrives. More information will likely follow from Xbox in the coming weeks.

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