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Antstream, the world’s leading retro game streaming service, is proud to announce its highly-anticipated arrival on Xbox consoles in Brazil, marking a significant milestone for Brazilian gamers, offering a vast library of retro titles on the Xbox platform for the first time.
Brazil has a unique history with video games. Due to import embargoes lasting into the 1990s, obtaining official consoles and games was nearly impossible. Even after these embargoes were lifted, high taxes on imported items, classified as luxury products, made hardware and software prohibitively expensive for gaming enthusiasts. This led to a culture of smuggling hardware and software from other countries, pirating software, and cloning hardware.
When consoles eventually became more accessible in Brazil, prices remained high. As a result, some consoles, such as the Sega Mega Drive and PlayStation 2, remained popular much longer than in other countries. Consequently, Brazilian gamers spent more time with the same generations of consoles, fostering a greater appreciation for a “retro” style of gaming compared to, for instance, UK gamers.
In recent years, Brazil has experienced significant changes in the video game industry. Although video games remain more expensive in Brazil than in many other parts of the world, the country has frequently ranked among the top ten video game markets by revenue. In fact, a 2022 study revealed that gaming has reached 74% of the Brazilian population, with smartphones being the most popular gaming platform, followed closely by PCs and consoles.
The Brazilian gaming industry is also expanding rapidly. Since the Covid pandemic, the number of game development studios in Brazil has more than doubled, now exceeding 1,000. Focusing primarily on indie games, the Brazilian gaming community comes together annually for the BIG (Big Independent Games) Festival in São Paulo, celebrating creativity and innovation in the industry.
Additionally, Brazil has a vibrant and unique gaming culture. Retro gaming events, cosplay conventions, and eSports tournaments are incredibly popular, reflecting a deep and passionate engagement with gaming. The country has produced several top-tier eSports teams and players, particularly in games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends, further cementing its position in the global gaming landscape.
These developments reflect a dynamic and evolving video game industry in Brazil, balancing between a rich history of improvisation and a future full of innovation and growth.
Brazilian gamers will now have access to Antstream’s extensive catalogue of over 1,300 retro games directly on their Xbox consoles. This includes beloved classics from the arcade era, iconic console titles, and hidden gems that defined gaming history. With Antstream’s innovative platform, Xbox gamers in Brazil can relive the nostalgia of iconic titles from the past decades, all without the need for downloads or emulators.
Antstream Arcade is the world’s largest official library of retro games to stream, with more than 1300 titles available to play on multiple devices, including PC, mobile and now Xbox in Brazil. The extensive and impressive catalogue includes titles from the early systems like the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64, to Arcade classics and games from SNES, Megadrive, and PlayStation One, and even features newly developed arcade games. With local co-op, weekly tournaments, hundreds of challenges and a global leaderboard to climb, there are plenty of new ways to play classic games, and Antstream’s cloud system instantly saves game progress so players can put down and pick up games at any time.
Antstream Arcade is available on Xbox consoles for £39.99, giving the player unrestricted access to all over 1300 games and all tournaments, challenges and more for an entire year. For a limited time, players can also purchase the lifetime subscription for a one-off payment of £99.99.