This week marks a crucial moment in cloud gaming. Microsoft takes two significant actions: selling Activision Blizzard cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft and bringing PC Game Pass to Nvidia’s GeForce Now.
Starting August 24th, GeForce Now users will see the arrival of PC Game Pass and Microsoft Store titles on Nvidia’s streaming service. Subscribers can anticipate streaming games like “Deathloop,” “Grounded,” “No Man’s Sky,” and others. However, not all titles will be immediately available, as Nvidia is still working on integrating the entire PC Game Pass library into GeForce Now.
Microsoft’s Xbox games for PC began appearing on GeForce Now in May after the tech giant signed a 10-year agreement with Nvidia. This arrangement allows Nvidia to license Xbox PC games to GeForce Now and is part of Microsoft’s more extensive efforts to ensure compliance over its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The deal even includes access to Activision Blizzard titles, provided Microsoft completes the purchase.
Cloud gaming has indeed been a complex facet of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition, with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) citing it as the main reason behind the blockage of the deal in April. To address this issue, Microsoft plans to sell its Activision Blizzard cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft, a move aimed at getting the deal approved in the UK. Ubisoft will manage the streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games outside the EU and license them back to Microsoft for inclusion in Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The sale of Activision Blizzard cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft is a significant development in Microsoft’s pursuit of regulatory approval. Alongside this, the integration of PC Game Pass with Nvidia’s GeForce Now expands access to cloud gaming for a broader audience.
As these developments unfold, Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of cloud gaming, forming partnerships and navigating regulatory landscapes. Gamers, developers, and the industry are poised to witness the benefits of these decisions, reinforcing Microsoft’s commitment to innovation and collaboration in the gaming world.
