“I think the ball is moving in the right direction." Xbox head Phil Spencer confirms Microsoft mobile game store delay amid Apple, Google regulations in interview

What you need to know

• Xbox head and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently spoke about several of the company's gaming plans in an interview with Bloomberg.
• In the interview, Spencer confirmed that Microsoft has delayed the launch of its mobile gaming store. The store was announced in May, and was originally scheduled to release in July.
• Spencer highlighted the need to make the store stand out in some way, while also commenting that "the ball is moving in the right direction" in regards to the overall state of mobile gaming.
• Notably, Spencer's statements come as regulations against Google and Apple's mobile duopoly move through courts worldwide, and a month after Google was ordered to open up its Android app store to third-party competition in an antitrust case.

Several months after its original July 2024 release window, we finally have an idea of what Microsoft's updated plans for its upcoming mobile game store are.

In a new interview with Bloomberg, Xbox head and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that the store's release has been delayed indefinitely as the firm "does additional research on the market." The platform was first announced by Xbox president Sarah Bond in May and was expected in July, but was ultimately pushed back. Now, the company is working with mobile game developers — including the teams behind recently acquired Microsoft properties like Candy Crush and Call of Duty Mobile — to determine the best path forward.

One of the major goals Microsoft and Xbox hope to achieve is making its marketplace stand out from existing storefronts like Apple's App Store, with Spencer stressing the need for a unique hook in the interview.

"So a web store would mean somebody doesn't have to go into the app store to try to install something, but you still have to have a way to find the store," Spencer said, highlighting the need for a marketable draw to the new platform. "If we’re just hoping, like, if we build it, they will come, I’m going to bet that doesn’t work."

Notably, the store's delay comes just one month after Google was ordered to open its Android app store to third-party rivals in a court case between the company and Epic Games — a ruling that led to several Xbox games becoming purchasable and playable in the Xbox app on Android. Regulations against Google and Apple like these are moving through courts worldwide, and will benefit Microsoft greatly as it plans the debut of its mobile store if they pass.

"I think the ball is moving in the right direction," Spencer added, commenting on the developing mobile landscape. “I think this idea of open platforms, where users have more choice, creators have more choice, you see the momentum, right?"

In the same interview, Spencer also confirmed that the long-rumored Xbox handheld device is real, but is "several years out." Additionally, he said that there are no "red lines" for games that could come to PlayStation or Nintendo, suggesting any current or Xbox title could head to these platforms one day if it makes sense business-wise. Xbox is still in the market for video game acquisitions, too, with Microsoft looking to partner with more Chinese developers in particular.

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Analysis: Microsoft makes the right call

Given that Microsoft evidently doesn't have a concrete plan for its mobile gaming store yet and that the landscape of the industry will change significantly if Google and Apple are forced to make changes to their business by regulatory action, the firm's choice to delay its platform was definitely the right call.

Entering the mobile market without a clear path forward would be a major risk, and Microsoft stands to gain quite a bit if ongoing antitrust cases work out in favor of competition against the existing duopoly. With this patient approach, the company gives itself valuable time to develop attractive standout features and the opportunity to launch at an optimal time.