Microsoft often turns up to a party late but this time it's to take advantage of the EU's Digital Market Act that comes into effect on March 24 next year which will allow third-party brands to load their app stores onto Android and iOS smartphones in a bid to diminish the dominance of Google and Apple's duopoly. As such, Microsoft is making plans to create a mobile gaming app store which it can be pre-installed on both Android and iOS devices.
According to an interview given to the Financial Times (paywall) by gaming head, Phil Spencer, Microsoft plans to use the Digital Market Act (DMA) to offer Xbox and third-party content from its partners on any screen.
“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play.Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices, but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up.”
Thanks to the DMA, third parties will be able to ask Google and Apple to open up their ecosystems in order to load their app stores on devices. It's a move that Apple and Google no doubt dislike but one that will give consumers yet more choice in how and where they download apps and games from.
