Microsoft has told us that yes, it is working on the Xbox app store, but it seems there’s no launch date just yet.
Head of communications for Xbox Kari Perez sent us this statement: “Testing has begun for our browser-based mobile store. Our work is progressing well and we will have more to share in the future.”
As we reported back in May, Xbox president Sarah Bond said at a Bloomberg event that the tech giant’s “mobile store experience” would be launching in July. Xbox boss Phil Spencer had also previously asserted that Microsoft is building a “gamer-first” app store.
Bond told Bloomberg in May: “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 continued: “We’re going to start on the web, and we’re doing that because that really allows us to have it be an experience that’s accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores. And then we’re going to extend from there.”
Since then, there’s been very little information out there about Microsoft’s potential rival to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. In fact, industry sources told us that Microsoft’s entry into the app store market will be a pretty muted affair.
A small number of publishers are under NDA with Microsoft already, we were told, but several of our contacts were not even aware there was an Xbox app store incoming. Others were seeking out more information, but coming away with nothing.
“There is no detail out there and who knows what the fuck is happening at Microsoft right now,” said one source. “It is possible they have no clue either.”
One long-time mobile game boss also warned of the serious UI and player behaviour hurdles Xbox will have to negotiate for a web-based store to succeed. “You have to create motivations to go to it, like free currency or items not available natively,” they said.
“Also, the experience will just stink. If it’s native, I’m curious to understand how that will work with Apple especially. Apple may make it tough too in some way that we can’t predict. It won’t be frictionless.”
We’ve asked Xbox for more information and will update this story if or when it provides more context.
