Xbox has reportedly secured exclusive streaming rights for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), according to The Verge.
Citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, The Verge reported that Xbox Cloud Gaming will be the only service able to stream GTA VI when it launches. Cloud gaming lets players run games on remote servers and stream them over the internet, rather than on their own console or PC.
The report followed an internal all-hands meeting at which Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft was getting ready to do something around GTA VI that "no other platform holder is doing." How long the exclusivity will last is still unclear.
Rockstar Games, the studio behind the series, has yet to announce a PC version of GTA VI. Without one, players on computers would otherwise need an Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 (PS5) console to play it. The streaming deal gives Microsoft a way to market Xbox Cloud Gaming directly to those players.
Cloud gaming limits begin in November
The report comes around a month after Microsoft announced changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming in a blog post on September 3rd. Starting in November, the same month GTA VI is due to release, Xbox Game Pass (Microsoft's games subscription service) will include a monthly allowance of cloud gaming hours. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get fifteen hours, Premium subscribers ten hours and Essential subscribers five hours.
Eligible subscribers can currently stream without a monthly cap. Xbox described the limits as 'a meaningful change' and said it expects them to affect 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Those who use up their allowance will be able to buy more playtime through the Xbox Store, with pricing to be shared before the changes take effect.
Explaining the decision, Xbox said the cost of running cloud gaming rises as more people use it for longer. It added that monthly limits will let it keep offering the service while investing in reliability and performance, though it acknowledged that 'for some players the practical result is a higher cost'.
Microsoft is also opening Xbox Cloud Gaming to players without a Game Pass subscription from November. Under the new pay-as-you-go option, players will be able to buy hours of cloud playtime through the Xbox Store and stream eligible games they own on supported devices. The Verge noted this would let players who own GTA VI but not an Xbox, including those who mostly play on a phone, stream the game by paying for a bundle of hours.
Project Helix will be a 'family of devices'
Sharma also used the all-hands meeting to share more on Project Helix, Microsoft's next generation of Xbox hardware. She told staff that Helix will be a "family of devices" and that Microsoft will work with partners on some of them.
Sharma first described Helix this way in an interview last month. Microsoft and chipmaker AMD announced a 'strategic multi-year partnership' last year to work on 'a portfolio of devices', which includes Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console.
