Microsoft will bring Xbox PC games and Call of Duty to cloud gaming provider Boosteroid
The ten-year agreement follows a similar deal with Nvidia GeForce Now
Microsoft has signed another ten-year deal to take its PC games to a cloud streaming service other than its own.
Independent cloud games provider Boosteroid will also receive Activision Blizzard titles such as Call of Duty, should the deal go through. It follows a similar agreement with Nvidia's GeForce Now.
Boosteroid has four million users globally, and is similar to Nvidia in that gamers can stream titles they already own. It offers cloud gaming services via the browser and dedicated apps, including on Windows, Linux, Android, Android TV and MacOS. It has also announced plans to offer additional cloud gaming services through Mac, Chromebooks, Android set-top boxes and LG TVs.
Its research and development teams are based in Ukraine, and two of its offices in Kharkiv have been damaged by missle attacks from Russian forces. Boosteroid's service is available in Ukraine, UK, US and across the European Union.
The deal is the latest from Microsoft that highlights its commitment to multi-platform game releases, something it hopes will encourage the UK and European regulators to approve its $68.7 billion bid to buy Activision Blizzard.
“This partnership builds on the $430 million in technology and financial assistance we have provided Ukraine since Russia’s unlawful invasion, and it exemplifies the steps we will continue to take to support Ukraine’s 160,000 software developers,” said Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith. “It also adds to our recent agreements with Nintendo and NVIDIA, making even more clear to regulators that our acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make Call of Duty available on far more devices than before.”
Microsoft's CEO of Gaming Phil Spencer added: "We believe in the power of games to bring people together. That’s why Xbox is committed to give everyone more ways to play their favorite games, across devices."