Ubisoft’s crummy PC game launcher could be improving very soon

Gamers didn’t want to download Ubisoft’s terrible PC game launcher, so the company overhauled it to see if it can change their minds.

Ubisoft is releasing an update to its PC game launcher that has a fresh interface and is loaded with more features. Currently in beta, the updated Ubisoft Connect client for PC adds enhancements to game library navigation that includes larger and wider icons, along with extra information that can tell you at a glance if the game is downloaded or installed.

The Ubisoft Connect update comes after the company streamed its summer showcase earlier this month, which included the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Connect, like a few first-party publisher-owned launchers, is disliked for its terrible performance, archaic design, and clunky interfaces when compared to the real OG — Steam.

Ubisoft’s new Connect redesign comes hot on the heels of a well-received update to competitor Steam’s game launcher. Connect, much like EA’s app (formally Origin), has struggled to gain traction amongst PC gamers that put their trust in the more reliable Steam and GOG platforms.

The project’s creative director Charles Huteau stated in a press release that the new app includes improvements for accessibility and makes it easier for players to find what they want. “We took the time to really digest all the feedback that we received in the last years about the desktop app,” Huteau states.

A big change in Connect’s new library interface includes a unified interface where all the games available to users, including ones from Ubisoft’s Plus service, now show up in-line together. And now Ubisoft is including some at-glance information for games that can quickly tell users how much they’ve progressed in-game or, like Steam, if the title is even downloaded or has updates to install.

Social features are also front and center in the new interface. Players can create new profiles from inside the app and quickly start a Share Play stream for friends to watch. Ubisoft says it should be easier to find friends and players to play games together, and you should be able to quickly see what games they’re playing and who are already together.

Ubisoft claims Connect comes with a new framework that has performance improvements under the hood and allows for people within the company to easily contribute to the client’s development. The beta experience is rolling out to users of the desktop app “gradually” and can be activated with a button on the top of the window once available.