By Rajwa Quasim
Microsoft’s Xbox has secured exclusive streaming rights of GTA 6 amid Rockstar Games much anticipated video game release.
According to reports, the agreement will allow Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream GTA 6 when the game launches on Nov 19. The deal is significant for Microsoft as the latest installment in Rockstar’s blockbuster franchise is expected to attract millions of players and could bring a large new audience to its cloud gaming platform.
CEO Asha Sharma reportedly revealed during an internal Xbox meeting that the company was preparing for something involving GTA 6 that no other platform was doing.
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GTA 6 will initially launch for PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has not announced a release date for the PC version. For Xbox, securing access to GTA 6 through its cloud service could strengthen its broader strategy of making game accessible across devices rather than limiting them to traditional consoles. Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball has clarified that GTA 6 will not be available to stream on PC when it launches.
The company is preparing to introduce a pay as you go option that will allow players to purchase cloud streaming time without necessarily maintaining a Game Pass subscription.
Microsoft is also restructuring cloud-gaming allowances across its Game Pass plans. The changes are expected to make cloud gaming a more flexible part of the Xbox ecosystem while giving the company additional ways to generate revenue from players who prefer streaming over installing games.
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The verge reports that Xbox Cloud Gaming will cap monthly cloud game access at 15 hours for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers and 10 hours for Premium subscribers. For Essential subscribers, it would be five hours.
Following the enormous commercial success of GTA 5, Rockstar’s next game is expected to become one of the biggest gaming launches ever. The streaming exclusivity gives Xbox its own GTA 6 selling point.