Xbox has denied reports claiming that it secured exclusive streaming rights for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6.
The original claim appeared in a report from The Verge, which referenced an all-hands meeting where CEO Asha Sharma allegedly said that Xbox was planning to do something with GTA 6 that “no other platform holder is doing.”
The report concluded that Xbox had secured exclusive streaming rights for GTA 6, which would potentially allow anyone using Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream the game on supported devices — including PC, where GTA 6 will not initially be available natively.
However, shortly after the report was published, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball responded on X to dismiss the claim, stating that Xbox will not have exclusive streaming rights to GTA 6 and that the game will not become available on PC through cloud streaming.
“While it’s great to see so much excitement around GTA 6 and Xbox, it has also led to some inaccurate reports. We’re excited to launch GTA 6 on Xbox on November 19, but the game will not be exclusively available through streaming, nor will this make it available on PC,” Ball said.
However, Ball did not deny the possibility that Xbox may have secured cloud streaming rights for GTA 6 specifically within the Xbox ecosystem, which could be the actual basis of the reported agreement.
If that is the case, Xbox users would likely need to purchase a copy of GTA 6 and subscribe to Xbox Cloud Gaming in order to stream the game to supported devices — apparently excluding PC.
Xbox’s cloud gaming service has undergone significant changes in recent months.
Following Sharma’s appointment as CEO, the company introduced limits on the number of Cloud Gaming hours available to Game Pass subscribers. After years without such restrictions, Game Pass users are now limited to 15 hours of cloud gaming per month, even on the highest Ultimate subscription tier.
According to reports, that figure represents the point beyond which Microsoft's streaming service stops being profitable.
Xbox is also expected to launch Xbox Cloud Gaming as a standalone service in November, potentially around the same time as GTA 6. The paid service would allow users to access cloud gaming without requiring a Game Pass membership.
Under this model, players could purchase a set number of gaming hours and stream games they already own to supported devices.
Microsoft is also experimenting with different business models for cloud gaming. The company is currently testing a free, ad-supported Cloud Gaming tier with Xbox Insider users, and a wider launch in November could potentially fit into its broader cloud strategy.
Beyond the Xbox-related reports, Rockstar Games has not announced any GTA 6 streaming agreements with other service providers.
That could still change as we move closer to GTA 6's November 19 release date.
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