Microsoft has commented for the first time on Apple’s new EU App Store rules, which the company has to implement due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Xbox President Sarah Bond wrote on X, Apple’s new policy is “a step in the wrong direction.” She hopes that Apple listens to feedback on its proposal “and works toward a more inclusive future for everyone.” Spotify and Mozilla as well as Epic Games, with which Apple has been arguing in court for several years, had previously made very critical comments.
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Microsoft wants the Xbox Mobile Store for the iPhone
Bond’s team at Microsoft is currently in the process of building an Xbox Mobile Store for iPhone. The group has been working on this for several years. In the context of the changeover in the EU, which is scheduled to start on March 7th, Apple announced that real cloud gaming apps would be allowed for the first time in the future. However, they would still be subject to Apple’s regular App Store commission of 30 percent for sales of one million US dollars per year.
The new “Alternative Business Terms” for the EU only require a 17 percent commission (or 20 if you use Apple’s payment service), but come with a controversial platform fee. This is 50 euro cents per first installation per year (alternatively: update or redownload) from one million installs. So Microsoft would most likely have to pay many millions.
Large corporations have remained silent so far
Microsoft’s comment is interesting because the software giant itself was classified by the European Commission as a so-called gatekeeper, which also falls under the rules of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). However, Microsoft is also directly affected by Apple’s changes because the company sells a lot of software in the App Store. The company could now open its own “Alternative Marketplace” for the iPhone on EU territory, which Apple must allow on EU territory – in order to sell its products such as Office. Then Microsoft would have to pay the platform fee.
Operators of alternative app stores also have to pay these – from the first installation and not just from the millionth. Other large IT companies such as Meta (Facebook), Amazon or Google have not yet commented on Apple’s new rules. However, like TikTok parent Bytedance, they are also classified as gatekeepers.
(bsc)