Why Microsoft selling Xbox games on Android isn't such a good idea

In response to the United States (U.S.) government’s proposal for breaking up Google’s monopoly, Microsoft has proposed selling Xbox games directly to Android users, which may not be a good idea.

In a recent tweet, Xbox President Sarah Bond said players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly through the Xbox app on Android devices.

This could have a negative impact on Xbox, as the company may not survive the fierce competition of Android games if consoles fade out in the process.

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…
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) October 10, 2024

Losing uniqueness

Xbox has been a unique game producer over the years, with few competitions such as PlayStation. The two companies have one thing in common — the players using gaming consoles to play.

This unique attribute has allowed Xbox to carve a niche for itself and has kept it out of the sea of competition in which other Android games are drowning.

By ditching consoles and bringing the games to Android devices like any other gaming company, Microsoft, and indeed, Xbox, may be losing their uniqueness in the gaming space.

While Bond celebrates the new development, a major concern is that Android games may become more popular than the use of consoles. This can easily cause Xbox and its games to lose in the fierce competition in the Android gaming space.

Lessons from Windows phones

Microsoft was an emerging phone maker, with the name Lumia. The phones used Windows operating system, and was a unique line of smartphones separate from the competitive mainstream Android market with several brands to compete.

At the time, the company believed Lumia was losing the smartphone battle, because the industry was dominated by Android and iOS. This may not be entirely true, as the world may have been warming up to the new line of smartphones.

It seems the company is about to repeat a similar mistake with Xbox games, as it offers Android options instead of sticking with the already popular console video games.