Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft is preparing to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that “no other platform holder is doing” during an employee meeting this morning. According to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, Xbox has managed to reach a deal for exclusive game streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI. The deal will mean that only Xbox Cloud Gaming will be able to stream Grand Theft Auto VI to players at launch, but it’s unclear how long the deal will be in place. Rockstar Games has yet to announce a PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI, so this deal will allow Xbox to market its Xbox Cloud Gaming service to PC gamers who would otherwise need an Xbox Series X/S or PS5 console. The streaming rights news comes about a month after Microsoft announced some big changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting in November, the same month as Grand Theft Auto VI’s release, Microsoft will limit streaming hours to just 15 hours for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, 10 hours for Premium subscribers, and just five hours for Game Pass Essential. Microsoft will also open access to Xbox Cloud Gaming with a pay-as-you-go option next month, rather than being limited to Game Pass subscriptions. The pay-as-you-go option is perfectly timed for Grand Theft Auto VI, allowing those who don’t own an Xbox, or who play primarily from a phone, to stream the game by paying for a bundle of hours. During the Xbox meeting, Sharma also told employees that Project Helix, the next generation of Xbox hardware, will be a “family of devices” and that Microsoft will partner with others on some of those devices. Sharma first called Helix a family of devices last month in an interview, after Microsoft and AMD announced a “multi-year strategic partnership” last year to work together on “a portfolio of devices,” including Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console.
