Claims have surfaced that Microsoft (MS) has secured cloud streaming exclusivity for 'GTA6' at launch. With Rockstar Games yet to announce a PC version, this would create a new access route for PC players as well.
The speculation began with internal comments at MS. According to The Verge, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees at an all-hands meeting on the 6th (local time) that they are preparing something regarding GTA6 that no other platform holder is doing. Industry sources subsequently claimed that the initiative in question is a cloud streaming exclusivity deal.
GTA6 is set to launch on November 19 for PS5 and XSX, and Rockstar Games has not officially announced a PC version. If the exclusivity rumor holds true, players will be able to play GTA6 via streaming on supported devices such as PCs or smartphones prior to a PC version's release.
The timing is also noteworthy. In an official announcement on September 3 (local time), Xbox revealed that starting in November, monthly time limits will be applied to Game Pass cloud gaming. Game Pass Ultimate will be limited to 15 hours per month, Premium to 10 hours, and Essential to 5 hours. Until now, subscribers were able to stream without any time restrictions.
Once the limit is reached, additional hours can be purchased from the Xbox Store. A system allowing users who do not subscribe to Game Pass to buy cloud usage hours to stream cloud-supported games they own will also be introduced around the same time.
Xbox estimates that the subscribers affected by this change represent roughly 4% of total Game Pass users. While longer playtime can drive up service costs, this suggests that few users actually used cloud services beyond the capped hours. However, if surging interest in GTA6 leads to a growing number of players logging extended sessions, the time limits could become a bigger burden for subscribers.
However, while GTA6's release date coincides with November when the time limits begin, it remains unknown how the cap will apply to GTA6. Furthermore, MS, Rockstar Games, and Take-Two Interactive have none officially confirmed an exclusivity deal. Conditions such as the exclusivity period and costs have not been disclosed either.
Whether the preparations mentioned by CEO Sharma refer to this contract can only be confirmed once an official announcement is made. If pricing for purchasing extra hours and the list of supported games are revealed before the November overhaul, it will be possible to gauge the financial burden of streaming GTA6.
Meanwhile, Sony has proactively acted as GTA6's marketing partner. Numerous forecasts suggested that GTA6, unplayable on PC, would significantly boost PS5 sales. As PS5 still holds an overwhelmingly dominant market share over XSX, platform fee revenues from GTA6 sales were expected to be substantial.
If the Xbox Cloud exclusivity deal for GTA6 is confirmed true, it could become a wildcard in these projections.
Following the reports, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Matthew Ball noted on X that "growing excitement for GTA6 has led to some misreporting". He explained that while Xbox is excited to launch GTA6 on November 19, the game will not be streaming exclusively or to PC. Some responses pointed out that parts of his statement were vague, calling for clarification on whether GTA6 streaming will be supported on Xbox Cloud Gaming and whether players can play GTA6 on PC via cloud gaming. Meanwhile, CSO Ball previously directly refuted reports on X on September 24 that GTA6 pre-orders were heavily skewed toward the PS5.
