Microsoft blames Apple for delay in its mobile Xbox store

The attempt by Microsoft to launch its own Xbox mobile store as early as 2024 did not materialize — and, according to the company itself, the main culprit is Apple. In a new document filed this week in the United States courts, the Redmond giant expressed formal support for Epic Games in their dispute against Apple and took the opportunity to directly criticize the iPhone owner's policy on alternative payments in iOS apps.

After a long legal battle that began in 2020, Epic Games managed to bring Fortnite back to the App Store and obtained court decisions that guarantee developers the right to include external links and advertising for alternative payment methods, avoiding the 30% commissions charged by Apple on in-app purchases.

"Apple must allow Microsoft to offer consumers ways to buy items outside the app without paying commissions to Apple," the company stated in the document.

Microsoft argues that the same policy that prevented Epic from informing its users about external payment methods also prevented the launch of its own store in the iOS ecosystem, affecting its plans to distribute games and content from the Xbox Store directly on mobile devices. The company also argues that the recent court decision, which authorizes alternative business practices to Apple's, should be upheld and that the appeal filed by Apple should not proceed.

In practice, this decision paves the way for Microsoft, as well as other companies, to launch their own app stores on iOS, offering users ways to acquire content that do not involve App Store fees.

The Microsoft move is also in line with its broader mobile expansion strategy, especially after acquiring Activision Blizzard, which brought names like King, the developer of Candy Crush — one of the most profitable games in mobile history — to its portfolio. Still in 2023, Microsoft executives stated that the goal was to launch a mobile gaming platform to compete directly with Apple and Google.

Now, with the favorable court decision for Epic, the legal landscape may finally allow these plans to move forward — as long as Apple's appeal is rejected. Meanwhile, the tension between big techs and the closed rules of the App Store remains one of the most relevant topics in the industry, with direct implications for competition, distribution, and the future of mobile ecosystems.