The smartphone gaming market is currently one of the strangest markets for developers. Until now, the smartphone market has been dominated by Apple and Android, but that may be about to change, according to comments from Phil Spencer, head of Xbox's video game division.

In an interview at the CCXP Comic Convention in São Paulo, Brazil, Spencer suggested that the company is focusing on mobile gaming options; Spencer's comments, first reported by Bloomberg, indicate that Game Pass in Brazil He emphasized that the available market is quite large and that Brazil tends to be a global leader in many trends. He stated that Xbox aims to increase its mobile presence in the region.

Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's current streaming service that works on both consoles and PCs. The service allows players to download games to their console or computer and play them while paying a subscription fee.

The service recently made headlines when Xbox acquired ZeniMax Studios, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. The company also completed a $68 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, despite some legal setbacks. Blizzard is best known for its "Call of Duty" series, but it also owns King, makers of Candy Crush. In a press release last year, the company said the acquisition would accelerate the growth of its gaming business across mobile, PC, and console platforms.

Despite being one of the market leaders in the console industry, Xbox has not been able to transfer its success to the mobile market; there is an Xbox app available for both iPhone and Android, the latter of which can use remote play, but it works never succeeded in creating an app store that would work. But it is definitely good timing, and Xbox has the best resources to compete.

The problem that prevented major game developers from releasing their titles on cell phones had to do with the market dominance that both Apple and Google have. Both companies had designed their systems so that apps could only be implemented through their own stores. Both companies were able to control the timing of the availability of their apps and, to some extent, their prices. They could also collect as much as 30% commission from sales.

However, Epic Games initiated a court case against Apple, claiming that Apple was monopolizing the market. The case has been repeated against Google, but has yet to be resolved. While Epic lost the case, Apple and Google reduced their fees from 30% to about 15%. Another blow to Apple and Google was the partial ratification of the EU's Digital Markets Act. The law theoretically requires both companies to allow third-party app sellers to operate on their devices.

This means that Xbox will be able to push its app store to both devices. Combine this with the acquisition of a major developer with experience in the mobile gaming market, and Xbox's app store could become a major destabilizing factor.

Spence refused to specify a date or time for a possible release, but assured Bloomberg that "I don't think this is years away." While now is arguably the best time to consider entering the mobile market, the risks are still significant and challenges exist. However, Xbox appears to have been working on this for some time and has the means to make a very strong appeal.