Microsoft says Apple’s policies and the risk of Apple winning a temporary stay during its appeal affected the timing of Microsoft’s planned Xbox mobile storefront. That is Microsoft’s explanation in a 2025 court filing—not a court finding that Apple alone caused the delay. Microsoft had announced a browser-based store with a July 2024 target; the sources cited here do not establish whether it later launched or was cancelled.
What Microsoft says delayed the Xbox mobile store
Microsoft announced plans for a browser-based Xbox mobile storefront and set a July 2024 target, according to The Verge’s 21 May 2025 report. In a brief supporting Epic in its dispute with Apple, Microsoft argued that Apple’s policies had stymied the effort. Microsoft also said the possibility that Apple could win a temporary stay while appealing affected the store’s timing.
Those are Microsoft’s claims about the delay. The reported filing does not establish that Apple was the sole cause, nor does it show that the storefront was technically ready to launch. A store for finding or buying games is also distinct from a cloud-gaming app that streams games to a phone.
Did Apple block Microsoft’s Xbox mobile store?
The available account supports saying that Microsoft blamed Apple’s policies for obstructing its plans; it does not support stating as fact that Apple blocked the store. The distinction matters: a company’s argument in litigation is not a court’s determination of what caused a product delay.
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The dispute sits within a broader argument about who controls app distribution, payments and links to alternative offers on mobile platforms. Those debates involve different regions and routes—Apple’s App Store, alternative marketplaces and browser-based services—and do not by themselves prove that a particular Xbox storefront was ready to ship.
How EU rules affect alternative iPhone distribution
In September 2023, the European Commission designated Apple as a gatekeeper for iOS, the App Store and Safari under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple’s own DMA information page also records the designation of iPadOS in April 2024. The Commission said designated gatekeepers had to comply with DMA obligations from 7 March 2024.
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A separate Commission notice in February 2024 said Apple and Microsoft were not designated gatekeepers for the specific services examined in market investigations—Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising. That limited finding does not undo or narrow Apple’s designation for iOS, the App Store and Safari.
In June 2024, the Commission announced preliminary findings that Apple’s App Store rules prevented developers from freely steering users to alternative channels for offers and content, and opened another non-compliance investigation. These were the Commission’s preliminary view and an investigation announcement, not a final finding. Apple, for its part, said its EU changes included more than 600 new APIs, developer tools and documentation; that figure is Apple’s own description of its changes, not an independent measure of how open iOS became.
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Microsoft and Apple also argued over cloud gaming
Separate submissions to the UK Competition and Markets Authority show why cloud gaming became part of the wider platform dispute, but they concern a different product question from whether Microsoft’s game storefront was ready.
| Party and submission | Position presented |
|---|---|
| Microsoft, 29 July 2024 | Microsoft argued that Apple’s 30% in-app purchase fee made its cloud-gaming service difficult to monetize, and that Apple’s rules stopped it offering iOS users different content, subscriptions or features. These are Microsoft’s claims in its submission. |
| Apple, 7 August 2024 | Apple pointed to Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming web app on iOS and disputed the claim that browser delivery was not a viable alternative. This is Apple’s counterargument. |
A cloud-gaming client streams gameplay; a storefront lets users browse or buy games. Apple’s argument about browser access to cloud gaming therefore does not, on its own, answer whether Microsoft could distribute a separate mobile store through a particular route.
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What Epic’s store plan does—and does not—show
Epic announced in July 2024 that it planned to bring the Epic Games Store to Android worldwide and to iOS in the European Union. The announcement illustrates a route Epic said it would pursue under the changing distribution framework; it is not evidence that Microsoft had launched an equivalent Xbox store. Epic separately said Apple terminated its developer account in March 2024 after Epic communicated its intention to bring its store and Fortnite to iOS in Europe. That account is Epic’s.
Is the Xbox mobile store available now?
The cited 2025 report does not establish whether Microsoft later launched or cancelled the store, and the later public court docket does not settle its product status. Without a current Microsoft or Xbox announcement confirming the outcome, its present availability should be treated as unconfirmed—not inferred from the court dispute or from Epic’s plans.
Quick Recap
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- MODERNIZED DESIGN — Experience the modernized design of the XBOX Wireless Controller with sculpted surfaces and updated geometry that enhances comfort and control during long gaming sessions.
- PRECISION PERFORMANCE — Stay on target with a hybrid D-pad and textured grips on triggers, bumpers, and back case for improved accuracy and handling.
- SHARE BUTTON: Seamlessly capture and share content such as screenshots, recordings, and more with the new Share button.
- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY — Connect via USB-C for plug-and-play on console and PC, or quickly pair and switch between supported devices with XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support.
- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
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