Ubisoft is preparing a significant change to the way its PC games operate on Steam. After years of requiring players to launch Ubisoft Connect alongside Valve's platform, the publisher has started testing a lighter system designed to make accessing its games considerably more straightforward. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first title to benefit from this new approach, which could eventually reshape how Ubisoft's catalog functions on Steam.

Instead of forcing users to install and open the complete Ubisoft Connect application, the game can now rely on a more discreet service running alongside Steam. Ubisoft says this system retains important online features such as cross-progression, cross-play, challenges, rewards and player protection tools. The objective is to preserve the company's connected ecosystem while removing one of the most criticized steps involved in launching its PC games. Ubisoft has described the initiative as an early stage of a broader effort to create a cleaner and more seamless experience.

The change could be particularly welcome among Steam Deck owners. Secondary launchers have traditionally been inconvenient on handheld devices, where additional authentication windows, updates and desktop-oriented interfaces can interrupt an otherwise console-like experience. By moving much of Ubisoft Connect's functionality into the background, compatible games should become easier to launch and navigate through SteamOS, especially once the player's Steam and Ubisoft accounts have already been linked.

This experiment also reflects Ubisoft's renewed commitment to Steam. After moving several major releases away from Valve's platform beginning in 2019, the publisher gradually returned with titles including Assassin's Creed Valhalla and subsequent releases. Ubisoft has not yet confirmed which games will adopt the new system next, nor whether its entire Steam catalog will eventually receive the change. Still, reducing the dependence on Ubisoft Connect represents an important improvement for PC players who have spent years opening one launcher simply to access another.