Hands-on with Microsoft's new Xbox Game Pass app for Android, iOS

By Jez Corden
published

At Gamescom 2018, Microsoft debuted a new Xbox Game Pass mobile app for Android and iOS, allowing you to browse and push game installations remotely to your console.

Xbox Game Pass (opens in new tab) is a $9.99 per month service that gives you subscription access to dozens of games. It also has some true headliners, such as Fallout 4, DOOM, and The Division.

During Gamescom 2018, Microsoft unveiled a new Xbox Game Pass app for Android and iOS mobile devices, allowing subscribers to browse the catalog of available titles from their phones, while also pushing installations remotely over the internet. At the event, we got an early hands-on look with the Android version. It's currently in beta.

A look at the Xbox Game Pass app for Android

The app is far faster than the usual Xbox app for Android, allowing speedy and functional perusal of the existing Game Pass library. You can set up notifications for new catalog additions to keep up to date on what is available, and you can add your favorite Game Pass titles to a library list for quick access.

You can browse the most popular titles, the complete list from A to Z, or by genre. Browsing the store page for a game gives you some information, game reviews, and it has a button to push an installation directly to a connected Xbox One console. Naturally, to make use of the remote installations your Xbox needs to be set up in Instant-On mode, rather than Energy Saving mode in the power settings. You can browse the Xbox Game Pass library without signing in, but to make use of its features you will need to sign in with the same Microsoft Account you use on your Xbox One. The app also supports separate dark and light themes.

Bringing Game Pass to mobile devices like this might seem like a small deal, but it'll further Microsoft's encroachment on mobile platforms, as the company gradually works towards bringing full-blown game streaming to more "portable" devices.

We'll keep you posted on availability, and provide Android and iOS download links as soon as we can.

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

22 Comments
  • Disappointed there's not a UWP app.
  • Devil's advocate: why have a UWP app when you have the Microsoft Store app that does all the same? Just type in 'Game Pass' and you can manage, install remotely, see what's been added, browse by category, etc. just like this app - in fact, this app pulls in the same feed from the Store. The reason why a dedicated app for Android or iOS makes sense is (looks at phone) there is no Microsoft Store app (and there can't be). Moreover, we already know that the Xbox UWP app is getting reworked and I wouldn't be shocked to see Game Pass integration there.
  • Once again, MSFT treats WindowsPhone 10 owners like red headed stepchildren and kisses up to Android and iOS. SMDH.
  • Yeah wtf at this point I feel discriminated against for owning "their" platform. I consistently use my WP, Xbox, and Surface devices and invest heavily in their ecosystem and we can't even be the first to have this app? Or have it at all possibly? I love Microsoft but c'mon guys it wouldn't drain your resources to give us these apps.
  • Yeah, that's sad I know. I have a Lumia but I know that it's over for W10M, I've accepted it and I'm still routing for MSFT and I will, going further.
  • Move on from windows mobile and stop setting yourself up for disappointment. Whatever hope you have for the future probably won't even support your current device. Lol
  • Get rid of the phone bro. The Windows phone is a paperweight at this point and you know it.
  • WP10 still works great for me and I prefer it much more than Android and iOS. I'm not with WIndowsphone 10 because of some hope. In my opinion its better than both of those platforms albeit with less app devs.
  • It it worked great, why are you complaining? You know she platform is dead. Do not expect anything from Microsoft going forward if you choose to continue using a Windows phone.
  • Have fun with your phone that will no longer be receiving security updates in the future.
  • Don't you remember the joyous retrenchment that was hailed on this site? That's where the W10M version went.....
  • Windows Mobile 10 and Windows Phone 8.x have reached the end of the road albeit through Microsoft's doing so there is nothing new on that front. But what is disappointing is that there is no UWP app, one would expect there at least a UWP app along side the ios and android apps. Since there is a Xbox app for ios and android, the argument that the functionality of this game pass app is served through the xbox app on Windows falls flat on it's face. As that completely undermines this new xbox game pass app for ios and android thus making this new app redundant.
  • Are you serious? You should have jumped ship long ago. I was a die hard windows phone fan just like you but I knew that things werent going to change so I switched to android. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment by holding on to windows mobile.
  • W10M is dead, so why are you surprised? Not to mention the fact that a dedicated app is redundant on Microsoft platforms since this stuff is all available in the store app.
  • Can anyone sign in on this?
  • Has no one realized that Microsoft is going to abandon the Windows 10 Mobile platform? It sounds like this has been in the news for some time so I don't understand why everyone is surprised.
  • Going to?
  • Oops. Yes has abandoned.
  • Technically they're still supporting it with security updates, but that's it and it won't be for much longer.
  • Okay... You can make an argument for uwp but, c'mon people, w10m?! Really?
    THIS is what you're doing?!
  • They can't even make an argument for a UWP app ;) As I pointed out above you can do everything this Android app can do through the Microsoft Store by just typing 'Game Pass'. Anyone who uses Game Pass knows this - you can browse, look by category, manage, install, see what's newly added, etc. Second, Spencer has said they're going to redo the Xbox UWP app and it would make sense to put more Game Pass integration there for Windows 10 instead of 'yet another app'. This makes sense for Android since there is no Microsoft Store on Android, obviously.
  • It's listed already: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F2F...