Xbox CEO Tells Staff Microsoft Has Exclusive GTA VI Streaming Plan

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees during an all-hands meeting that Microsoft is preparing something around Grand Theft Auto VI that no other platform holder is doing, according to The Verge. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans said the company has secured exclusive game streaming rights for the game, meaning only Xbox Cloud Gaming will be able to stream Grand Theft Auto VI to players at launch.

It is unclear how long the streaming agreement will last. Rockstar Games has still not announced a PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI.

The streaming rights arrive as Microsoft opens up access to Xbox Cloud Gaming in November, the same month Grand Theft Auto VI releases. Sharma also said during the all-hands 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 them.

About a month before this report, Microsoft announced major changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming, including streaming hour limits of 15 hours for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, 10 hours for Premium subscribers and five hours for Game Pass Essential. The company said it would open up access to the service with a pay-as-you-go option rather than limiting it to Game Pass subscriptions.

Sharma first described Project Helix as a family of devices last month in an interview. Last year, Microsoft and AMD announced a strategic multi-year partnership to work together on a portfolio of devices, including Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console.