Why isn’t Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam? Answered

PC gaming platforms are more divided than ever, these storefronts other than Steam aren’t beyond spending a pretty penny on exclusivity. With Ubisoft Montpellier’s newest release locked to Epic and Ubisoft, let’s talk about why Prince of Persona: The Lost Crown isn’t on Steam.

Why Can’t You Buy Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam? Explained

Any PC gamer is aware of the feud between Steam and the Epic Games Store (EGS), but Ubisoft are no strangers to trying to keep games to their own ecosystem. The publisher pushed for their titles to be sold exclusively on Uplay (now Ubisoft Connect) for a few years before Epic’s big push into the space with their Fortnite gains. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown lacking a Steam release is just a continuation of this trend.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown can only be bought on PC through the Epic Games Store or the Ubisoft Store, without an option to buy it on Steam. These sorts of storefront exclusivity deals usually last a year or two, particularly in regards to games coming out on EGS without a mention of a Steam release.

In the case of The Lost Crown, Ubisoft partnered with Epic to release the game on both of their storefronts at once, rather than releasing it on Steam. We’ve yet to see if this sort of dual-storefront release will eventually lead to a Steam launch, as both companies have a long history of trying to bar titles from releasing on Valve’s platform.

It’s possible this might be one of the odd-off titles that doesn’t eventually make it there. Another recent example lies in Alan Wake 2, which will probably stay exclusive to the Epic Games Store because Epic published the game.

You Can Play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam Deck

Ubisoft might not want you to buy the game using the Steam storefront, but you sure as heck can play it on a Steam Deck if you’re open to jumping through a few extra hoops. The process is a little convoluted and can take some time, but it seems worth it for an otherwise stellar platformer. Check out our guide on how to play PoP: The Lost Crown on Steam Deck.

Will we ever see PoP:TLC on Steam? We’ll have to wait to find out, but at least now you know why Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown isn’t on Steam. At least you can load it onto your Steam Deck with a little effort. Check out some of our guides on PoP:TLC, such as how to farm crystals and how to upgrade weapons and amulets.