Latest news with #Antstream
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Microsoft Adds Over 50 Activision Retro Games To Xbox Game Pass
Retro Classics on Xbox Game Pass Yesterday, Microsoft announced a partnership with Antstream to bring over 50 classic Activision retro games to all tiers of Xbox Game Pass via a new Retro Classics launcher. You might recognize the name Antstream because the company actually already has their own app available on a variety of platforms dubbed Antstream Arcade with over 1,000 different officially licensed retro titles. Antstream Arcade is similar to the new Retro Classics app in that you can stream tons of classic games to your system complete with new bells and whistles, challenges, and leaderboards, but it's a paid app with a much larger library. The main difference is that, as of this time, the Retro Classics app is exclusively available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers only. Activision is one of the oldest and longest running game companies still going. They started all the way back in the late 1970s making games for Atari and are still going strong to this day. As a result, a Retro Classics app from them is loaded with titles from all eras of gaming history including the likes of Commando, Grand Prix, Kaboom!, Mech Warrior 2: 31st Century Combat, and Pitfall! With this new app, you can quickly and easily access a huge catalog of retro games on your console, PC, and even cloud gaming compatible device like smartphones, Meta Quest headsets, or even supported smart televisions and Amazon Fire TV devices. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Some of the added features include uniquely crafted challenges to take on against friends or globally on leaderboards, achievements to collect, save states to preserve and load progress, and more. There is local multiplayer for some select titles, but no online multiplayer options—you'll just be able to send asynchronous challenges to friends instead. According to Microsoft, they plan to eventually grow this specific Retro Classics app to over 100 different games. This is a great next step in Microsoft's ongoing efforts in preserving retro games. Hopefully more publishers jump on board with this platform, it would be great to have an all-in-one sort of retro gaming app that's easily accessible.
The Verge
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Microsoft adds over 50 ‘Retro Classics' to Game Pass
Microsoft has announced that a new 'Retro Classics' collection is now available to Game Pass subscribers. Reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch Online classic games library, the collection includes Pitfall, Grand Prix, and more than 50 other Activision titles from the 1980s and 1990s. It's not as many titles as the 1,300 retro games that Antstream, Microsoft's partner in the offering, has available on its streaming service, but it won't cost Game Pass subscribers any extra. Retro Classics, which Microsoft writes is part of its 'commitment to game preservation and backwards compatibility, is available on Xbox consoles, PC, or via Xbox cloud gaming on compatible devices like some LG and Samsung smart TVs, and the Meta Quest headset. Other games included in the collection include Cosmic Ark, Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, and Atlantis. Based on screenshots, it looks like the collection will include titles from the original PlayStation, the SNES, MS-DOS, and more. Players will be able to collect achievements and participate in events like tournaments and community challenges, as well. Microsoft says this is only the start: the collection will expand to include more than 100 games from Activision and Blizzard, eventually. Like Nintendo's retro collection, you're out of luck if you don't have Microsoft's gaming subscription, as the titles in the collection aren't available for sale separately. Antstream Arcade separately announced a temporary deal for Game Pass subscribers. Until June 4th, members can sign up for a year of access to Antstream's library, which includes more than 1,300 games, for $9.99 via the Microsoft Store.
