There have been so many rumors about the possibility of an Xbox Mobile Store, with Microsoft finally confirming plans were in motion back in May. Originally it was revealed that the store would launch at some point in July, though time is very quickly running out if Microsoft wants to hit that deadline. Still, newly uncovered evidence suggests that the store could be launching very soon.
As spotted by X (neé Twitter) user Klobrille, a new web page with the URL xbox.com/mobilestore has appeared online. Though before you get too excited, this appears to be a placeholder page that says “Coming Soon” alongside some generic boilerplate for an Xbox Insiders testing program.
This page could tell us two things about the upcoming Xbox Mobile Store. The first is that Microsoft is potentially preparing for the new store to launch, and this webpage could feature a bunch of details about the new app store.
It was originally stated that the Mobile Store would begin life as a web page, and this will no doubt be the landing page for the entire Xbox mobile catalog. This should initially focus on first-party titles before it grows. That way you can access and install games straight from the web page, without having to install a separate app store.
Once an official app store application is released to Android and iOS, this page will likely point visitors in that direction.
The generic Xbox Insiders text also suggests that the Mobile Store may roll out to Xbox Insiders before the general public has access to it. Which makes a lot of sense, and means Microsoft can test the waters and ensure that the Mobile Store is actually working correctly before opening the gates to the masses.
It’s worth pointing out that the only reason the Xbox Mobile Store is coming into existence is because the EU has forced Apple to open up the iOS platform in the region, allowing developers to distribute their apps from third-party app stores. While Microsoft hasn't been happy with the way Apple is handling the topic of third-party app stores, that doesn’t seem to be stopping it from taking advantage of the changes.
We still don’t know when the store will actually launch, and that July window is looking very unlikely. But here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too much longer to play top Xbox titles on the best phones.
