Xbox has made it clear that mobile and cloud gaming is an area the brand needs to properly expand into, with Microsoft hoping that the ongoing ActiBlizz deal can help in that field. Another way that the team feels it can push into mobile is by opening up a new storefront on that platform, something that Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently touched on ahead of GDC 2023.
In an interview leading up to the Game Developer's Conference, Phil spoke about Xbox's upcoming mobile plans.
"We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play..."
"Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices but we want to build towards a world that we think will be coming where those devices are opened up."
Spencer and co. are hoping that a new piece of legislation — EU's Digital Markets Act — will help Xbox's cause. The act is expected to come into force in March 2024, with the aim of opening up digital marketplaces to enable increased competition.
"The Digital Markets Act that’s coming — those are the kinds of things that we are planning for [...] I think it's a huge opportunity."
Cloud gaming is clearly a huge part of Xbox's future, then. Phil has discussed an Xbox Cloud Gaming device in the past — something that has been worked on but hasn't released yet — so the company has plans to move into cloud beyond existing devices and storefronts.
Could Microsoft be waiting for its upcoming storefront to launch 'Project Keystone'? Who knows, but the team is seemingly hoping that everything comes together with ActiBlizz and Xbox's mobile gaming push in the coming months and years.