Xbox is finally rolling out the ability to purchase games and DLC, as well as sign up for Game Pass directly from its mobile app. But there’s a catch: you’ll no longer be able to access remote play within the Xbox app.
The update is arriving for beta testers on iOS and Android, but Xbox says it will be available to everyone “soon.”
Xbox president Sarah Bond first announced plans to let players purchase and play games within the Xbox app in October – just days after a court ruled that Google must crack open Android to third-party app stores. But users won’t be able to play games within the app as initially promised. The feature was supposed to arrive in November, but Bond blamed a “temporary administrative stay” for holding it back.
Once Microsoft officially launches in-app game purchases, you’ll see a “Buy” button on game pages if you already have a form of payment saved. You’ll also be able to preorder games and set them to preinstall in your Xbox, as well as redeem Game Pass Ultimate perks. With this update, Xbox has done a complete reversal, as its app previously let users purchase games without remote play.
Though remote play will no longer be available in the app, Xbox notes that you can still access it from your mobile browser. Xbox is also bringing remote play to supported Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Meta Quest headsets.
A few other updates are coming to Xbox as well, including the ability for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream select games they own from Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, which means they won’t have to download games before they can play. Xbox recently added more titles to its “stream your own game” collection, including Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and Subnautica 2.
There’s also a new game hub feature on Xbox that pulls up “relevant information” about a game, such as player stats, achievements, friends currently playing the game, events, and available add-ons.
