Ubisoft is testing a new Steam setup that removes the need to install or launch its Ubisoft Connect PC app, with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown serving as the first game in the trial.
The company introduced Ubisoft Connect Services through its Steam announcement feed. The tool is built into the Steam version and is intended to keep Ubisoft features such as cross-progression, cross-play, player safety tools, challenges, and rewards available without sending players through a separate PC launcher.
Prince of Persia starts Ubisoft’s Steam launcher test
The Steam version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is connected to a backend application called Ubisoft Connect Services. A Steam library note dated September 8 described the rollout as an initial step toward a smoother launch process, beginning with The Lost Crown.
Players may still need to connect their Ubisoft account to Steam before using the supported features. After that setup, the standalone Ubisoft launcher does not need to remain installed or opened for Ubisoft Connect Services to handle the connected tools. For now, the notice is limited to owners of The Lost Crown on Steam, so other Ubisoft games have not received the same treatment yet.
Ubisoft has not named the next games
Requests for Assassin’s Creed to receive the same setup have already surfaced, but Ubisoft has not confirmed that series or any other follow-up title. Some players have also described Ubisoft Connect problems affecting older games and, in certain cases, access to parts of their libraries.
Ubisoft has required Steam players to install its own PC client alongside many of its games for years. The service began as Ubisoft’s original PC client in 2009, became Uplay in 2012, and was renamed Ubisoft Connect in 2020. Connect Services would remove that extra installation for games that receive the new system.
Ubisoft Connect Services is still an early version, so the company plans to continue improving it as the test develops. Ubisoft also said the service will progressively reach more games on Steam, including titles already available on the platform and future releases. It has not named the next games or provided a rollout schedule.
The move gives Ubisoft a way to keep its account-based features without placing another launcher between Steam and the game. For now, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the only confirmed example in the rollout, and the broader test will determine how quickly the same approach reaches the rest of Ubisoft’s Steam catalog.
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