Once again, Microsoft is looking to clean up an over-engineered problem it created by consolidating its Game Pass and Xbox mobile app.
Someone within the Xbox mobile app or Game Pass teams finally realized that having two separate apps that conceptually do the same thing is a waste of resources and branding efforts and are now actively trying to streamline Microsoft’s mobile gaming experiences.
Microsoft recently informed Xbox Insiders that its planning on evaluating an updated version of its Xbox app for iOS and Android that better integrates features from the current Xbox Game Pass app. A new streamlined Xbox app for mobiles will include access to the full Game Pass library while also supporting user management of membership, benefits, and rewards.
In addition, the new app will also support other Game Pass integrations that include party chat, text chat, game captures, remote install, remote play games. The app will do mostly everything shy of cloud game streaming thanks to some legalese that prevents that type of engagement directly from an app on Android and iOS.
However, the browser option will remain in place for gamers looking at cloud stream games at xbox.com/play.
The news comes ahead of a planned obsolescence of the Xbox Game Pass app as the company intends to shutter its use by November 2024.
These updates will be available for Xbox beta members on mobile and will be coming to everyone soon. As part of these changes, we will no longer support new downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app, starting in November.
Microsoft Spokesperson
The move to consolidate the two-app gaming experience on mobile feels well overdue but in line with how Microsoft operates. Like the dedicated Windows mail experience transforming into the Outlook Web app, Microsoft maintains a history of producing too many similar products that ultimately end being consolidated way too late.
Hopefully, the move from Xbox Game Pass to Xbox Mobile is a bit more seamless than previous Microsoft efforts.
