The popular Xbox feature is making a comeback

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Key insights

  • Due to a court ruling, the Xbox app on Android will allow you to purchase games again.
  • Xbox fans are happy about more flexibility; some concerns about consoles being phased out.
  • Apple users may feel left out as the iOS version does not have an in-app purchase feature.



The ability to purchase and play games Xbox App on Android will come back. The popular feature was missed by many fans of the Xbox family of consoles who use Android mobile devices.

This change comes after a California jury ruled against Google, declaring that the company has an illegal monopoly over the Android Play Store. Because 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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Over on Twitter, Xbox President Sarah Bond announced the upcoming features. In a brief statement, the president explained that the recent court ruling on the Google Play Store allows for “more choice and flexibility” and that Xbox will thereby offer Android users the ability to purchase and play games directly from the Xbox app on their phones . Players can also redeem codes through the app. These features will be available sometime in November, but Bond did not specify the exact date they will be available.



Xbox fans react to app news

Xbox fans in particular seem to be happy about the news, especially those of the Android app. However, there are still some complaints from some Xbox users. Some have complained that this appears to be another step in the direction of Xbox getting rid of its own consoles and allowing users to stream or exclusively use other devices to play its games. Some have also taken the opportunity to take action against Xbox for shutting down developers like Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.


Others have also complained that these features are also not available in the iOS versions of the Xbox app and there is no information about this change, leaving Apple fans feeling left out. However, according to the tweet, it's likely that these changes are coming now that 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 would either have to increase prices on the platform or take a loss on every game sold to Apple users through the app.

Android users will have to wait and see when exactly this update will appear. More information is expected to follow from Xbox in the coming weeks.

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