Only one Steam game is confirmed so far: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Ubisoft says its new Ubisoft Connect Services tool will let that game keep selected Connect features without requiring the separate Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to be installed or opened. It is a limited test—not the end of Ubisoft Connect, a universal change to Ubisoft games, or a confirmed update for other PC storefronts.
What is changing on Steam?
In an announcement dated September 10, 2026, Ubisoft named Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown as the first Steam game to use Ubisoft Connect Services. Ubisoft says the tool is intended to retain selected Connect functions while removing the need to install or launch the separate desktop PC launcher for this Steam experience. Ubisoft’s Steam announcement was quoted in contemporaneous coverage by PC Gamer.
This distinction matters: the announced change is to the launcher requirement for a particular Steam title, not a shutdown of the wider Connect service. PC Gamer reports that some software will still run in the background, so it would be inaccurate to say that all Ubisoft software or Connect services disappear.
What stays, and what is not yet clear?
Ubisoft says the Steam tool keeps features including cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges, and rewards, among other services. The announcement does not clearly settle whether players will still need to sign in with a Ubisoft account for this test. Ubisoft’s 2020 launch materials said a Ubisoft account enabled cross-platform features for new releases, but that general historical statement is not definitive guidance for this specific 2026 Steam implementation.
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| Question | Existing Steam launch flow | Announced Services flow |
|---|---|---|
| Must the separate Ubisoft Connect PC launcher be installed? | The launcher is part of the existing flow described by the announcement as the change being tested. | No, for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown in the announced Steam experience, according to Ubisoft. |
| Must the separate launcher be opened? | The announcement describes the test as avoiding the need to launch it. | No, for the named Steam experience, according to Ubisoft. |
| Do Connect features remain? | Connect features are available through the existing setup. | Ubisoft says cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges, and rewards remain, among other features. |
| Is a Ubisoft account sign-in required? | Not established for the existing Steam flow in the announcement. | Not clearly established for this test. Ubisoft’s 2020 account guidance is historical and does not answer the specific question. |
| Which games and storefronts are covered? | The announcement does not provide a full list of existing launcher flows. | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam is the only named game. No other storefront is confirmed. |
Does this remove Ubisoft Connect from every Steam game?
No. Ubisoft describes this as an initial version and says Services will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future. It has not confirmed which games are next or when they will be added. The announcement also does not establish that older Steam games will be updated retroactively, or that the change covers Epic Games Store or games bought directly from Ubisoft.
Ubisoft called the test “an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience on Steam,” and said it would keep improving Services with the goal of making the Steam experience “as seamless as possible,” as quoted by PC Gamer. Those are stated aims, not measured evidence of faster startup or better reliability. No performance figures or benchmarks have been published in the sources reviewed.
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What should players do?
If you play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam, the announced Services flow is intended to let you launch without separately installing or opening Ubisoft Connect PC while retaining the listed features. The announcement does not give a specific setup or migration procedure, so do not assume that uninstalling the launcher manually is required. Ubisoft’s Ubisoft Connect PC installation guide covers installing or reinstalling the desktop app, but does not provide specific instructions for users moving to this Steam test.
For any other Ubisoft game or storefront, treat the existing launcher requirements as unchanged unless Ubisoft confirms otherwise. The guidance to update Connect in Xbox Wire’s July 2026 article concerns a separate Xbox console-to-PC offer, not this Steam change.
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Why does Ubisoft Connect include more than a launcher?
Ubisoft presents Connect as a broader ecosystem of cross-game and cross-platform services, including progression, challenges, rewards, and social features. In a historical interview, Ubisoft Online Technology Director Martin Lavoie described the platform’s rationale as providing a “global and centralized set of standard tools, services, and data” for cross-title experiences and production teams. That background helps explain why Ubisoft describes the Steam change as retaining services while altering the desktop launcher requirement; it does not establish the specific motivation for the 2026 test. Ubisoft News and Ubisoft’s 2020 Connect announcement describe the wider platform.
Quick Recap
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- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
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- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
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