Ubisoft Finally Dumps Mandatory Launcher for Steam Players
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Ubisoft is testing a new Steam tool that lets players run games like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown without installing or launching the separate Ubisoft Connect desktop app.
PC players have spent nearly two decades dealing with the friction of secondary launchers, but Ubisoft is finally making things right. As originally reported by Game Rant, the publisher is testing a major change on Steam that removes the mandatory Ubisoft Connect desktop app for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Instead of forcing users to boot up a separate client just to play a game they bought on Steam, Ubisoft is introducing a lightweight background service that handles cross-progression, achievements, and friends lists invisibly.
For anyone playing on a Steam Deck, this update is a massive quality of life win. Navigating desktop-centric launchers on Linux via handheld hardware has always been an awkward bottleneck, and this shift brings Ubisoft releases much closer to the seamless experience players expect from native Steam titles. While Ubisoft Connect is not disappearing entirely, shifting its infrastructure behind the scenes solves one of the most persistent complaints about modern PC gaming ecosystems.
This move also marks a continuation of Ubisoft warming back up to Valve's platform after experimenting with exclusive storefronts for years. Though Prince of Persia is currently the sole test case, Ubisoft has confirmed plans to roll the service out to more games over time. It is a welcome step toward respecting player time and cutting down on redundant software bloat.
Tags: Steam, Ubisoft, PC Gaming, Steam Deck
Original article: Game Rant