Xbox Pushing Ahead With Plans For Mobile Game Store, Which Isn't "Multiple Years Away"

Microsoft is going ahead with its plans to create a mobile store for Xbox in order to compete with Apple and Google in the space.

In an interview at CCXP in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Microsoft's Phil Spencer said, "It’s an important part of our strategy and something we are actively working on today not only alone, but talking to other partners who’d also like to see more choice for how they can monetize on the phone."

While he didn't mention a specific date for the mobile store, he did say, "I don’t think this is multiple years away, I think this is sooner than that."

Back in March, Spencer said that Microsoft's mobile store could launch as early as 2024, and that a big part of its merger with Activision Blizzard involved expanding its mobile games business. Activision Blizzard owns Candy Crush, which is one of the most popular mobile game franchises ever and it just hit its $20 billion revenue milestone this past September.

With the completed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, not only does Microsoft now own Candy Crush, but also games like Call of Duty: Mobile and Diablo Immortal. It's not just Microsoft that see the importance of the mobile space--Sony does too, as it also created a division solely focused on mobile games.