Microsoft says Xbox needs to thrive in mobile gaming to stay relevant

The market for mobile games is much larger than that for console and PC games, and Microsoft wants to gain a strong foothold in the mobile gaming space to secure its future in the gaming industry. That’s exactly why Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King (ABK), a company that offers some of the most popular games for smartphones and tablets, including Call Of Duty: Mobile, Candy Crush, and Diablo Immortal. Now, Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has reiterated how important mobile gaming is to Microsoft.

In an Official Xbox Podcast, Phil said that Xbox needs to be relevant in the mobile gaming space if Microsoft wants to stay relevant in the gaming industry. “If you're going to continue to be relevant in gaming at a global scale, you're going to have to find a way to be relevant on the largest platform, which is mobile. There is no way to plot the future without being on the platform that most of the planet plays on,” said Phil.

Xbox game store could arrive on mobiles in 2024

So, it’s clear that Microsoft is focusing strongly on mobile gaming, which means that we should soon see some development on the matter. There’s a high possibility that the company might launch new games on Android and iOS in the near future. Earlier this year, Microsoft also talked about bringing the Xbox game store to mobile devices in 2024. So, that’s one more thing mobile gaming fans can look forward to.

In the podcast, Phil also says that Microsoft isn’t planning to make all the console and PC games offered by the company available on mobile platforms or make those titles free to play. Microsoft sells games as a one-time purchase and offers Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, which contain a number of titles that people can play by paying a monthly fee, and the company also offers a couple of free-to-play games. According to Phil, Microsoft’s diverse portfolio of distribution channels is the company’s strength.

No ABK games coming to Xbox Game Pass before 2024

On a related note, the head of Xbox has confirmed that no games from ABK, including Call Of Duty Modern Warfare III and Diable IV, will come to the Xbox Game Pass subscription before 2024. However, the company has added a bunch of other games to the subscription service this month that might make your Halloween better. The list includes Dead Space, Cities Skylines II, and Like A Dragon: Ishin! You can check the full list here.