Ubisoft testing to smooth out game launches on Steam
The era of launching games feels increasingly like navigating a digital maze. For many PC gamers, the experience of jumping from a game on Steam to a publisher-specific launcher, like Ubisoft Connect, is a familiar, yet irritating, hurdle. It’s a persistent friction point that Ubisoft, along with rivals like EA and Rockstar, has been stubbornly clinging to for years.
But things are starting to shift. It seems the giants are finally realizing that the launch experience shouldn’t feel like a forced detour.
Ubisoft is now testing a bold new approach: attempting to streamline the entire process by moving away from the mandatory launcher altogether. Starting with titles like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the publisher is exploring ways to integrate essential services directly into Steam, aiming for a launch experience that is far more seamless.
This transition isn’t about eliminating services; it’s about redefining how those services operate. While the separate application will be phased out, the necessary functions—such as cross-progression, cross-play capabilities, player safety features, and rewards systems—will continue to run quietly in the background. This functionality will be managed through a new layer: Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool.
The goal, as stated by the developers, is clear: to make the Steam experience as seamless as possible while still delivering the robust features players expect. This move suggests a future where the launch process is frictionless, removing the need for constant application switching and reducing the daily annoyance of opening multiple external applications just to start playing.
One might even look at this as a step toward a more modern system. It mirrors the philosophy behind services like Diablo 4, where you maintain your account and progression without needing to constantly launch the primary application window. This shift points toward a future where accounts and game services are decoupled from the cumbersome necessity of proprietary launchers.
As this pilot expands to other Ubisoft titles, it signals a broader industry movement away from fragmented launchers. After years of watching critics note that proprietary launchpads often add unnecessary complexity, this change could be a welcome concession to the player base. It’s a reminder that the focus should be on delivering the game, not managing the software that launches it.
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