Microsoft has teamed up with retro cloud gaming service Antstream Arcade to bring over 1,300 classic video games toXboxconsoles. With an alarming87% of old-school games now unavailable commercially, more people are becoming focused on video game preservation efforts, and that’s where companies like Antstream come in. Founded in 2013, the UK-based business is currently the largest retro game cloud streaming service in the world, boasting over 3,000 licensed titles with 1,300 of them already available to play.
Those who have kept up with Epic Games Store’s free weekly offerings over the years may recognize the name Antstream. In November 2021, theAntstream Welcome Pack was given out on Epic Games Storeand basically provided a handful of Gems, Antstream’s in-platform currency, to unlock games offered by the service.
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Now, Xbox andAntstream have announced that the retro game cloud streaming servicewill be launching on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on July 21, and preorders are already open on the Microsoft Store. Gamers can either pay $29.99 for an annual subscription or $79.99 for lifetime access. This move is noteworthy because not only will Antstream be the first third-party cloud gaming service to launch on Xbox, but it will also be the largest content drop in Xbox history. The company will be holding a livestream on July 14 at 12 PM PST to provide more details about what gamers can expect from Antstream Arcade on Xbox.
The goal of Antstream Arcade is not only to preserve classic video games that risk being lost to time, but to make them more easily (and legally) accessible to fans. Sarah Bond, who serves as corporate vice president atXbox, said about the announcement: “Many of us grew up playing these games, so the ability to stream them on Xbox consoles and share these experiences with our friends and family is incredible.”
Antstream Arcade offers retro game fans more than 1,300classic games from a plethora of consoles, including Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy. Titles that are rather difficult to play nowadays — likeJumpman, Joust 2, Missile Command,and the arcade version ofBubble Bobble— will soon be readily available to play on Xbox consoles, and Antstream says more games are added every week.
The platform also allows gamers to earn achievements, save progress to the cloud, and easily resume play. Antstream tracks high scores online, and players can compete with their friends or in tournaments. And with the support of companies like Tencent and Atari, Antstream has also been able to mod some titles to add mini-games and other challenges for players, giving even well-known retro games a new twist.
