Between its preparations for the Xbox Series X’s launch and its recent acquisition of Bethesda, Microsoft has also been busy working on expanding the Xbox brand’s presence on mobile devices. This has resulted in a new Xbox app making its way onto Android this week, an update that comes with more neat features than people may realize.
While the introduction of Xbox Game Pass streaming on Android this month makes smartphones and tablets more viable options for playing Xbox games, the overhauled Xbox app, which launched yesterday in beta form, is designed to make the rest of the Xbox ecosystem just as accessible. Included are various improvements to make it easier for users to find games, connect with friends, and share content. Furthermore, the app brings Xbox remote play to all users, not just Xbox Insiders, and it will be used for setting up the Xbox Series X and Series S once users are able to get their hands on those.
But one thing Microsoft’s announcement fails to mention is that the new Xbox app also lets users download games before they even buy them. This is something a ResetEra user brought to light, having tested it out for themselves. They found that it’s possible to download games to their consoles from the app, which isn’t extraordinary in and of itself, but what’s notable is that the app gives users the option to pre-download first, letting them pay afterwards in order to access their downloaded game.
The obvious benefit of this is that it means users can get the downloading process started sooner than usual and cut down on waiting. This seems like a natural option for digital downloads, but the ResetEra user says it will be a godsend for those who prefer physical games in particular. Oftentimes, a physical copy of a game has to go through a long installation process before it can be played, but this new pre-load option means users can get all of that taken care of by the time they insert the disc into their console.
More than that, the pre-loading feature means Xbox users now have more versatility in regards to when they decide to buy a game. Since the option is there to download first and pay after, they are free to download a game they’re interested in and hold off on paying for whatever reason, whether it be that they’re waiting to get paid or simply want to see reviews for a game before committing.
For now, this and the rest of the features of the new Xbox app are exclusive to Android, and with Apple blocking Xbox’s game streaming service from iOS devices, it’s likely that Microsoft will keep it that way for the foreseeable future.
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