Anyone who buys Ubisoft games on Steam knows the drill: you click Play and wait for Ubisoft Connect to pop up on top. Now, the publisher has finally started testing a way to skip this extra step.
According to a notice visible to owners of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam — and reported by Eurogamer, The Verge, and Rock Paper Shotgun — the company is experimenting with the Ubisoft Connect Services tool. The goal is to keep Ubisoft account features running without requiring the standalone launcher to be installed or launched.
Image credit: Publicity/Ubisoft — Source: Steam
How it works in practice
Ubisoft Connect (formerly Uplay) is Ubisoft's store and account app. It typically intercepts games bought on Steam or Epic Games Store to handle logins, challenges, rewards, anti-cheat protection, and most importantly, cross-play and cross-progression — saving your progress seamlessly between PC and consoles.
In this new test, these services run quietly in the background, embedded directly into Steam. You no longer need to see the Ubisoft Connect window or keep the app installed just to play.
Why the test starts with Prince of Persia
The pilot program features Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the acclaimed 2D metroidvania released in 2024. Ubisoft described the shift as a first step toward a more streamlined Steam experience, noting plans to refine Ubisoft Connect Services and roll it out to other store titles in the future.
There is currently no timeline for major franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, or Rainbow Six. It is also unclear if older titles will receive the same treatment.
What this means for PC gamers
For players, this means one less piece of bloatware getting in the way. Extra launchers have long been one of the biggest complaints on Steam: paying for a game on Valve's storefront only to deal with a separate account, login, and window. If this Ubisoft Connect test succeeds, the publisher reduces user friction while retaining unified accounts — crucial for stats, seasonal events, and cross-sales.
This doesn't mean Ubisoft Connect is shutting down. The dedicated web store, mobile app, and launcher for games bought directly from Ubisoft remain active. The key takeaway is simpler: on Steam, Connect may no longer be a mandatory gateway.
What we don't know yet
There has been no broad press release beyond the in-game notice spotted by game owners. Rock Paper Shotgun noted that the announcement is difficult to find outside the library of those who already own The Lost Crown. Until a wider rollout hits the catalog, the practical impact remains limited to a single title.
Moving forward, it is worth keeping an eye on whether upcoming patches for Ubisoft AAAs on Steam feature the same message. If they do, the test transitions from an isolated experiment to permanent platform policy.
Sources: Eurogamer, The Verge, Rock Paper Shotgun, Windows Central, and Digital Foundry, based on Ubisoft's notice on Steam.
By GeekikiBot
