Ubisoft has amalgamated its Uplay and Ubisoft Club services into one unified platform. Ubisoft Connect incorporates game streaming with a sense of community, allowing fans of Ubisoft titles to compete and collaborate across platforms.
There is plenty to explore when it comes to Ubisoft Connect. If you are looking at how you can access the service and what it entails, then here is all the info you need to get up to speed.
What Is Ubisoft Connect?
On Oct. 29, 2020, Uplay and Ubisoft Club became the more centralized “Ubisoft Connect,” a platform for streaming Ubisoft games, interacting with friends, and redeeming rewards. In addition to expanding on Uplay for PC gamers, the new interface promises cross-platform experiences on the next generation of gaming consoles.
Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Connect in a blog post published on October 21, 2020. Platforms supported include Windows PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna. In Ubisoft’s efforts to truly be cross-platform, there are even mobile apps for Android and Apple devices.
What Do You Need to Do to Use Ubisoft Connect?
The Ubisoft Connect apps allow users to access their stats and play games on PC, Apple, or Android devices. An app is not required to have a profile, so console gamers that don’t intend on playing their games on PC or mobile devices don’t need to install the app to benefit from their Ubisoft Account.
Players link their PlayStation or Microsoft account with their Ubisoft Account to sync data between Ubisoft Connect and their console. The account will carry over your information regardless of what platform you are playing on. In this case, you can access your Ubisoft account through Ubisoft games rather than through a downloaded app.
You will need to ensure that your device is capable of running Ubisoft Connect and the games. This should work as standard across consoles, but the desktop version is a different kettle of fish given the wildly differing specs from PC to PC.
While there are no minimum requirements for Ubisoft Connect, per se, there are minimum requirements for each game. Taking Watch Dogs 2 as an example, these are as follows:
Operating System: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
Processor: Intel Core i5-2400S @ 2.5 GHz / AMD FX 6120 @ 3.5 GHz
RAM: 6 GB
Video card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 (2GB) / AMD Radeon HD 7870 (2GB), or better
Hard Drive: 50 GB available storage
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card with latest drivers
Peripherals: Windows-compatible keyboard and mouse / Microsoft Xbox One controller / DualShock 4 controller
Note that these are minimum requirements. Games streamed with these specs possibly won’t work as smoothly as the recommended requirements. You will also need to ensure you have a stable broadband connection in order to download data and stream titles.
In order to get Ubisoft Connect on your PC or Mac computer, simply download the exe file using one of the links, below, and install it! You can then access Ubisoft Connect. Console users access Connect via in-game menus. Mobile users will simply need to install the app.
Download: Ubisoft Connect for Windows PC | Apple | Android (free)
What Features Does Ubisoft Connect Have?
Ubisoft has provided some information about how Ubisoft Connect will work as it unrolls on future consoles. We also have reason to believe that many elements of the legacy system will be maintained.
Uplay+
Uplay was Ubisoft’s digital gaming platform for PC. Now that all of Ubisoft’s digital offerings are coming under one roof, it’s getting an update.
Uplay+ is now the name of Ubisoft’s digital subscription service. The subscription service will give users unlimited access to Ubisoft titles. Games can also be purchased, downloaded, and played outside of the subscription service.
Ubisoft Rewards Program
One of the greatest benefits of the legacy Uplay system was its in-game rewards points. They unlocked exclusive content like character customization options, exclusive levels, and even digital collectibles like computer wallpapers. The rewards aspect is sticking around but it’s changing a little.
Rewards are now unlocked with “units” that are awarded for increasing the overall level of the player account. The level is increased by earning experience points by completing in-game challenges.
500 experience points are required to level up. Every level will be worth 10 units, every fifth level will be worth 20 units, and every 10th level will be worth 50 units. If you already have a Uplay account, your level carries over to the new system.
Challenge Systems
The new Ubisoft Rewards program has two main kinds of challenges. The “Core Challenges” will be familiar to Uplay account holders. These are challenges that are essentially pegged to the player’s progress in a given game.
While it was fun to watch the status of these challenges, most of them were challenges that a player would eventually meet over the course of the game whether they were trying to or not.
The current Ubisoft rewards system introduces “Timed Challenges.” These are regularly renewed challenges that the player needs to beat within a given time frame while the challenge is live if they are to collect the rewards, similar to the Daily Challenges in Call of Duty’s online multiplayer modes.
Smart Intel and Personalized Info
Ubisoft Accounts now include the “Smart Intel” feature. This feature provides personalized tips and tricks to help individual players get the most out of their games.
Smart Intel is based on personalized statistics and player information. This information is accessible to players from the web or app as well as in-game. Ubisoft advertises this as a way for players to improve their game by understanding their own unique play style.
News Feed
The Ubisoft Account also includes a news feed of friends’ activities and achievements. This seems to be an evolved version of some of the social features from the Ubisoft Club system, which also allowed players to form groups and chat with friends online.
Cross Play
Perhaps the largest benefit of the Ubisoft Connect ecosystem is the Cross-Play functionality. By linking their Microsoft or PlayStation accounts to their Ubisoft Accounts, players can have access to their Ubisoft benefits regardless of the console that they’re playing on.
Cross-play also allows a feature called cross-progression. This means that game saves can also be shared across platforms, allowing you to start where you left off regardless of the platform you launch the game on. So, you should be able to save a Ubisoft game on your Xbox and then pick it up again on your PlayStation.
Players are also able to see which friends are online regardless of what consoles their friends are playing on.
What if I Already Have a Uplay Account?
Players that had Uplay and Ubisoft Club subscriptions will keep their accounts, as well as all of their games and rewards. They also maintain their “Club Level” which will factor into the updated rewards system.
Further, PC and mobile gamers do not need to uninstall Uplay and install the new Ubisoft Connect apps. The new platform was introduced to these users as an update to their existing apps.
While older games are not included in the updated rewards system, legacy account holders were given free units to access content that they had not yet unlocked.
Now You Can Use Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft Connect is a great way to purchase and stream Ubisoft games. It’s also the best way to interact with friends on Ubisoft games, get the most out of your play time, and pick up where you left off when playing across multiple platforms.
After creating a Ubisoft account, all that you have to do is link it to your gaming accounts on other platforms, computers, and consoles to upgrade your playstyle and take your stats with you anywhere.