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

theverge.com:

By Umar Shakir, a news writer fond of the electric vehicle lifestyle and things that plug in via USB-C. He spent over 15 years in IT support before joining The Verge.

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