Microsoft to shut down Xbox services: Microsoft has announced that it will be the end of supporting Xbox capabilities for Windows Phone devices.
The announcement was sent out via Microsoft’s Xbox application.
This is a bad sign for that left of the shrinking Windows Phone community and is yet another step taken in the direction of Microsoft to stop service for the Windows Phone operating system.
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Windows Phone was first released in 2010 to be an alternative to the market for mobile phones against iOS and Android.
Windows Phone overtook Blackberry’s market share in 2013, beating Blackberry 10 OS, which was still new on the scene and appeared to be an effective competitor in the smartphone market.
It is noteworthy that Microsoft bought Nokia for $7 billion US in its plan to expand.
However, the interest for Windows Phone had declined by the year 2016 when iOS and Android were gaining more ground.
Windows Phone lost a percentage of 1% in the year, followed by Microsoft stopping development on Windows Phone in 2017.
The end of Xbox features will impact any Windows Phone operating system version, including Windows 10 Mobile.
The end of Xbox LIVE services will begin on May 16, simultaneously affecting every Windows Phone product.
Games that incorporate Xbox LIVE features will no longer be able to record achievements or other kinds of progress in players’ Xbox profiles, and other features such as cloud save will cease to work as well.
Games that don’t depend upon Xbox LIVE features (such as ones that offer offline saving) are expected to continue to work even though Microsoft cannot guarantee that it will be the case; however, they have stated the possibility that “some games may still be playable on your phone.”
The announcement is not likely to shock those familiar with the background of Windows Phone, with Microsoft discontinuing support for the phone in the latter half of 2019 and releasing the final security update one year afterwards.
It is possible that Microsoft’s permission to Xbox for Windows Phone was generous, and the company has been keeping the platform in use for the duration that was possible.
Since then, Microsoft has focused on creating applications that are compatible with Android and iOS and more recent speculations of Android apps being supported on Xbox consoles.
Nowadays, Windows Phone has become an old-fashioned relic from the 2010s that harkens back to when companies such as Blackberry or Nokia had at the forefront of smartphone technology.
This announcement will mark the end of an era for those who loved Xbox capabilities on the Windows Phone.
