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You can buy and play Xbox games on your Android phone starting next month

In a big win for mobile gamers, a new court ruling means that Microsoft is to start selling Xbox games directly through the Android app.

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If you’re a fan of Xbox games and own an Android phone, it’s about to get a lot easier to manage your game library on the go. A new court ruling means that Microsoft can sell directly through its Android app without paying the Play Store tax.

A new report has revealed that the US court system deemed Google’s Play Store an illegal monopoly, and as such, it has to stop forcing developers to use Google Play billing in their Android apps. In direct response, Microsoft has decided to start selling Xbox titles on the Xbox Android app, including some you can play on your phone. That’s a big win for some of the options in our guide to the best gaming phones, with devices like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro and RedMagic 9S Pro perfectly capable of running performance-intensive games.

Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, posted the following statement via X: “The court’s ruling to open up Google´s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices, so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.”

Presumably, this will only affect US users for now, and Microsoft has not shared any other information about the upcoming app changes. It’s not exactly clear why Microsoft opted not to sell games through its Android app before these changes; both PlayStation and Steam already offer game purchases in their respective apps and have done so for a long time.

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Currently, the Xbox app allows you to download games to your console remotely, but you need to purchase them on the console itself. You can also access cloud streaming features via the app, and we assume that’s what Bond means when she says you can play the titles on your phone. Microsoft is also set to launch a browser-based mobile store, but it has been taking longer than expected. It was originally slated for a July launch, but in August, Microsoft said that testing had begun and “work is progressing well.” However, with the upcoming app changes, it may no longer be as crucial.

We’ll keep an eye out for more news, but if you have Game Pass Ultimate and want to start playing Xbox games on your phone right now, check out our guide to all the Xbox Game Pass games. Or, if you’d rather have access to all the best iPhone games and Apple Arcade games, see our guide to the best gaming iPhones for a bunch of options to suit every budget.