Xbox mobile game store to exclusively offer microtransactions at launch

Microsoft is making a bold move into the lucrative mobile games market with the upcoming launch of an Xbox mobile store. However, gamers may be surprised to learn that the store won’t actually be selling games when it debuts in July.

According to Game File’s Stephen Totilo, the Xbox mobile store will initially only offer microtransactions for purchase. This decision was reportedly made due to Microsoft’s lack of a robust mobile game library to justify a full-fledged store until now.

The recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, which brought popular titles like Candy Crush, Call of Duty Mobile, and Diablo Immortal under Microsoft’s umbrella, has given the tech giant the confidence to enter the mobile gaming space. Additionally, the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act has paved the way for Microsoft to move forward with its mobile plans.

Xbox president Sarah Bond hinted at future partnerships with other game developers to expand the store’s offerings beyond Microsoft’s own first-party titles. This move could potentially challenge the 30% commission that iOS and Android currently charge for in-game purchases.

“We’re going to start by bringing our own first-party portfolio to that. So you’re going to see games like Candy Crush show up in that experience, games like Minecraft, and then we’re going to extend that capability to partners so that they can also take advantage of it and have a true cross-platform, gaming-centric mobile experience,” Bond explained in a recent Bloomberg interview.

It remains to be seen how the Xbox mobile store will evolve and whether it will integrate with Xbox Game Pass to offer additional benefits to mobile gamers. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development in the world of mobile gaming.