Microsoft’s new 10-year deal with Nware “democratises access to play titles anywhere”

Microsoft has partnered with cloud gaming platform Nware for a new 10-year deal to stream “PC games built by Xbox” on its platform.

A press release further adds that this will include Activision Blizzard games “after the acquisition closes”.

Nware – self-described as “the only cloud gaming platform in the market that gives gamers the freedom to bring more than 20,000 video games from their current libraries to Nware” – enables users to access their favourite games on Steam, Epic Games, and Ubisoft clients, and playing them “in the cloud on any device”, such as smart devices and TVs.

Both parties were otherwise taciturn on the arrangement – which it says “democratises access to play titles anywhere, anytime without the need for expensive dedicated hardware” – but Microsoft vice chair and president, Brad Smith, said: “While it’s still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today.”

Xbox boss Phil Spencer added: “We are full speed ahead in our mission to bring players more ways to play their favourite games.”

Earlier this week, the UK stopped Microsoft’s $68.7bn effort to buy Activision in its tracks, prompting a furious response from Smith, who branded the move as “bad for Britain”.