Ubisoft has begun testing a new way to run its games through Steam without requiring the separate Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to be installed or opened. The change is starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which now uses a new Ubisoft Connect Services tool distributed through Steam. Ubisoft says the system is intended to preserve features such as cross-progression, cross-play, challenges, rewards and player-safety services while making the Steam launch process more seamless.
The change does not mean Ubisoft Connect itself is disappearing. Instead, Ubisoft is separating the services its games need from the full desktop launcher, allowing those functions to be delivered through a lighter Steam-integrated component. SteamDB now lists Ubisoft Connect Services as a standalone tool and shows it attached to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Steam packages, providing independent evidence that the new system has already been deployed.
Ubisoft describes the current implementation as an initial test rather than a completed platform-wide migration. The company says Ubisoft Connect Services will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future, but it has not published a full list of titles or a timetable for that expansion. That means players should not assume every existing Ubisoft release can immediately be launched without the traditional Ubisoft Connect client.
For Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the shift represents a noticeable change from how the Steam version previously worked. Ubisoft’s own support material had instructed players to use Ubisoft Connect for account linking, cloud saves and cross-platform progression, while Steam users historically needed the company’s launcher or an embedded version of it to access those services. The new setup is designed to keep those underlying features while removing the need for the full launcher to start alongside the game.
Third-party launchers have long been a point of frustration for PC players who purchase games through Steam but are then required to open another application before playing. Ubisoft titles have been among the most prominent examples, with many releases requiring both Steam and Ubisoft Connect to remain involved in the launch process. Older Ubisoft support responses explicitly stated that certain games could not bypass Ubisoft Connect, making the current test a significant change in the company’s approach.
The new Steam integration could also be particularly useful for handheld PC users. Launchers outside Steam can introduce additional login prompts, update processes and compatibility issues on systems such as Steam Deck, especially when running Windows applications through Proton. Removing the standalone Ubisoft Connect client does not guarantee that every Ubisoft game will become fully compatible with SteamOS, but it eliminates one layer that has historically complicated the experience.
Ubisoft still appears to require its account infrastructure for features such as cross-progression and online services, so this should not be confused with the company abandoning Ubisoft accounts altogether. The distinction is primarily about the PC application itself: players may still interact with Ubisoft’s network and services, but the full Ubisoft Connect launcher no longer needs to be opened for supported Steam games. Ubisoft has not indicated that purchases made directly through Ubisoft Connect are changing.
The move comes as Ubisoft continues making broader changes to how its games are distributed across other platforms. Its catalog has also recently become compatible with Xbox’s Disc-to-Digital program, expanding how players can access Ubisoft titles within Microsoft’s ecosystem. On PC, the new Steam service similarly reduces friction between Ubisoft’s own infrastructure and the platform where the game was purchased.
For now, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the clearest example of the new system in action. Ubisoft Connect Services appeared on Steam well before this week’s rollout, but its deployment to the game now shows what the tool is intended to do. If Ubisoft follows through on its stated plan to expand the system, future and existing Steam releases could increasingly launch without requiring players to manage a second full desktop client.
