Xbox reportedly secures exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights

Xbox has secured a deal for exclusive streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI, according to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, as reported by The Verge. The agreement would mean that only Xbox Cloud Gaming can stream the game at launch. Its duration is unclear.

Rockstar Games has not announced a PC version. The deal could let Microsoft promote Xbox Cloud Gaming to PC players who would otherwise need an Xbox Series X / S or PS5 console to play at launch.

The report comes around a month after Microsoft announced changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting in November, the same month Grand Theft Auto VI is due to release, streaming limits will be 15 hours for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, 10 hours for Premium subscribers, and five hours for Game Pass Essential subscribers. Microsoft is also set to introduce a pay-as-you-go option next month, opening cloud streaming to people without Game Pass subscriptions. The option would let players pay for a bundle of hours to stream the game.

At an employee all-hands, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also said Project Helix, the next generation of Xbox hardware, will be a “family of devices,” with Microsoft partnering with other companies on some devices. Sharma described Helix that way in an interview last month. Last year, Microsoft and AMD announced a “strategic multi-year partnership” covering a portfolio of devices, including Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console.