TECHNOLOGY
Xbox reportedly secures exclusive cloud streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI
Microsoft has reportedly landed exclusive streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI for Xbox Cloud Gaming, according to sources familiar with its plans. The deal arrives as the service is capped and opened to pay-as-you-go access in November.
Image: Xbox · Uploaded by IntraGoals — usage rights confirmed
Microsoft has reportedly secured exclusive game streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI for Xbox Cloud Gaming, according to sources familiar with the company's plans. The rights take effect in November, when Microsoft is opening up access to the service. The details come from a report that Hacker News flagged; key facts should be verified against the primary source before publication.
During an employee all-hands this morning, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told staff that Microsoft is preparing to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that "no other platform holder is doing." According to the sources, that teaser referred to the streaming deal.
Under the arrangement, only Xbox Cloud Gaming would be able to stream Grand Theft Auto VI to players at launch. It is not clear how long the agreement will last. Rockstar Games has not announced a PC version of the game, so the deal would let Xbox market its cloud service to PC players who would otherwise need an Xbox Series X or S, or a PS5, to play.
The news comes about a month after Microsoft announced major changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting in November, the same month Grand Theft Auto VI is due to release, streaming hours will be limited to 15 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, 10 for Premium subscribers and five for Game Pass Essential.
Microsoft is also opening Xbox Cloud Gaming beyond Game Pass subscriptions with a pay-as-you-go option next month. The timing suits Grand Theft Auto VI: people who do not own an Xbox, or who mainly play on a phone, could stream the game by buying a bundle of hours.
At the same all-hands, Sharma told employees that Project Helix, the next generation of Xbox hardware, will be a "family of devices" and that Microsoft will partner with others on some of them. Sharma first described Helix that way in an interview last month. Last year, Microsoft and AMD announced a "strategic multi-year partnership" to work together on "a portfolio of devices," including Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console.