Abstract:
Many PC players have long complained about third-party game launchers, and Ubisoft Connect has been one of the more controversial platforms. Now, it seems the French gaming giant has finally decided to make a change. Ubisoft recently officially announced that it is testing a new way to launch the game, hoping to reduce the extra steps players face when launching the game while retaining the account system and online service functions.
According to information released by Ubisoft, the new solution is called "Ubisoft Connect Services". Different from the traditional model, it no longer requires players to install or launch the complete Ubisoft Connect client, but provides related services through a lightweight tool integrated in Steam. With this new mechanism, players can still use Ubisoft's featured services such as cross-platform progress synchronization, cross-platform connections, challenge systems, reward mechanisms, and player safety features, but there is no need to specifically run the Ubisoft Connect launcher.
The first test subject of the new system is "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown". Starting with this game, Ubisoft will verify the stability and user experience of the new Steam integration solution in the actual environment. For players who have long been accustomed to purchasing and managing games on the Steam platform, this means that there is expected to be less additional login, synchronization and client loading processes when launching Ubisoft games in the future.
Industry insiders believe that Ubisoft’s adjustment strategy is closely related to changes in the PC gaming platform environment in recent years. With the popularity of Steam Deck and the continuous development of compatibility layers and conversion tools such as Proton, FEX, and Lepton, more and more players are beginning to run Windows games through SteamOS, Linux systems, and other special environments. On these platforms, additional third-party launchers often cause compatibility issues and usage obstacles, and Ubisoft Connect is often criticized by players.
Ubisoft said that the current version is only the first step of the entire plan. The company will continue to iterate and optimize Ubisoft Connect Services based on player feedback, and plans to gradually promote it to more Ubisoft games on the Steam platform. In the future, various accounts and online service functions commonly used by players will be retained as much as possible, while making the overall startup experience smoother and more seamless.
It is worth noting that this does not mean that Ubisoft Connect will be completely abandoned. Ubisoft did not announce the closure of the existing platform, but chose to separate its core functions and embed them into the Steam ecosystem in a more lightweight form. From a strategic perspective, this is more like a service form adjustment rather than the end of the platform itself.
For the majority of PC gamers, this change is generally seen as a positive sign. For a long time, many players have complained that after purchasing a game on Steam, they still need to download and run multiple additional launchers, which complicates the game startup process and increases compatibility and stability risks. Ubisoft is now taking the initiative to reduce its reliance on independent launchers, which is considered an important response to player feedback.
If testing goes well, more and more Ubisoft games may no longer require the full Ubisoft Connect client to run in the future. For Steam users, Steam Deck players, and Linux users, this more direct and unified experience may become one of Ubisoft's most popular improvements in recent years.
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