Key Points:
- Microsoft blames Apple for delaying its Xbox mobile web store, originally scheduled to launch in July 2024.
- The delay stems from Apple’s anti-steering policies, which block developers from directing users to external payment methods.
- Microsoft filed a legal brief supporting Epic Games’s lawsuit against Apple, backing the right to offer alternative payment systems.
- The Android version of the Xbox app was also delayed due to ongoing legal and administrative challenges.
Microsoft has pointed to Apple’s restrictive App Store policies as the main reason behind the delayed launch of its much-anticipated Xbox mobile web store, originally set for July 2024. This revelation came through an amicus brief filed late Tuesday by Microsoft to support Epic Games’ ongoing legal dispute with Apple over its control of the App Store and in-app payment systems.
Microsoft had been planning to roll out an online mobile store where users could purchase in-game items outside of Apple’s App Store ecosystem. However, Apple’s anti-steering policies, which prohibit apps from directing users to alternative payment methods, effectively blocked Microsoft from moving forward despite a district court ruling that should have allowed such features.
According to Microsoft’s filing, Apple’s restrictions prevented the company from informing users that alternative payment options exist. “This solution has been stymied by Apple,” Microsoft stated, noting that even minimal progress was hindered by increased economic and operational costs imposed by Apple.
The court’s ruling in Epic’s favor temporarily allows third-party developers to link to external payment systems within their apps. This legal shift enabled Fortnite’s return to the App Store, complete with Epic’s payment links — and theoretically opened the door for Microsoft’s Xbox store to do the same.
Still, Microsoft remains cautious. It fears that if Apple’s appeal against the ruling succeeds, it could be forced to pull back the Xbox mobile store after launch. Microsoft argues that Apple can easily reverse its changes if it wins the appeal and thus urges the courts to enforce the injunction in the meantime.
Apple’s App Store policies have also affected the main Xbox app on iOS, which cannot offer both game purchases and cloud streaming due to restrictions. Microsoft recently allowed purchases within the app but had to remove remote play capabilities to comply with Apple’s rules.
Meanwhile, the Android version of the Xbox app was set to launch full purchasing and gameplay features in November 2024. That rollout, too, has been stalled by what Microsoft calls a “temporary administrative stay.”
