Ubisoft drops its extra launcher on Steam: Prince of Persia gets it now

Ubisoft has updated the Steam version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. For some buyers, it no longer requires the full Ubisoft Connect launcher and uses a lighter Ubisoft Connect Services tool that runs quietly in the background instead.

Steam Download

Players aren’t being funneled through the standalone app anymore. Ubisoft says the new setup still keeps cross-progression, cross-play player safety systems, challenges, and rewards in place, while getting rid of a lot of the friction people complain about on PC: extra login screens, update checks, background processes, and the technical hiccups that have made publisher launchers such a sore subject.

Ubisoft is framing this as a first move toward a cleaner Steam launch experience, and says more games should get the same treatment over time. It also lines up with the company’s broader shift back toward day-one Steam releases, at a moment when Ubisoft is trying to rebuild some goodwill while dealing with restructuring, cost-cutting, and weaker financial results.

If you play Ubisoft games on Steam, this is one to keep an eye on, especially if you’re on Steam Deck or Linux. Those are the setups where Ubisoft Connect has drawn some of the loudest compatibility complaints. Even so, there are still open questions around performance offline play, and cloud saves, and the reporting so far, which started with a Reddit screenshot and was later backed up by other outlets, doesn’t answer all of them yet.

For now, the change is already live for Steam buyers of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Ubisoft says a broader rollout across Steam is expected later.