Xbox games are still coming to GeForce Now, despite Activision ruling

Ben Schoon | Apr 27 2023 - 7:14 am PT

Yesterday the UK CMA passed down its ruling to block Microsoft from finishing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard over concerns on cloud gaming. Despite that, though, Microsoft is apparently continuing its deal with GeForce Now, with plans to bring Xbox games to the service.

Earlier this year Microsoft announced a 10-year partnership that would bring Xbox games to Nvidia’s GeForce Now service alongside games from Activision Blizzard, should the merger be approved. The deal, and several others like it, was thought to be entirely contingent on Microsoft gaining approval on the Activision deal from the UK, but it seems that’s not the case.

As highlighted by GeForce Now Source, an Nvidia Spokesperson confirmed to Zach Laidlaw that the deal between Microsoft and Nvidia will continue regardless of the outcome of the UK’s case. The spokesperson said:

The agreement with Microsoft and Xbox PC games will proceed regardless of the outcome of the acquisition.

While it’s obvious that Activision Blizzard titles would be excluded from this if the UK does shut down Microsoft’s acquistion, it’s still a win for Nvidia’s GeForce Now, as Microsoft’s Xbox library would provide a nice boost of quality to the cloud gaming service. And, at least in our opinion, it’ll be a better option for players, as GeForce Now’s streaming technology is generally more stable, consistent, and advanced than what you get with Xbox Game Pass.

The exact details on how Xbox games will work on GeForce Now remain unclear, and we also don’t know when the games are slated to arrive. In any case, it’s exciting.