Leading retro games platform Antstream Arcade has announced the introduction of a free tier to its online streaming platform, providing users with free access to the platform’s thousands of iconic games.

The first game streaming service to announce a free-to-play tier, Antstream Arcade hosts the world’s largest library of retro games, with over a thousand playable retro classics available and dozens of new titles added every month. Utilising cloud-based streaming, users can play any game on any device wherever there is a 4G connection or better present – even where 5G is developing. The introduction of this new pricing model will allow users in North America and Europe to access the platform’s full list of features for free.

Antstream Arcade’s CEO Steve Cottam said: It’s an age old argument in the media, how should users pay for content? Ads, attention, data or money are the most common methods at present. We are continuing to offer a premium service without ads or interruptions, but, for users who don’t want to pay, we are now also offering a free-to-play tier. Ultimately, we want our customers to get the best value, we want licensors to be paid fairly for their IP and we want our investors to see the company grow to its full potential – this is the latest step in throwing open the doors to gamers everywhere and achieving that goal.”

Antstream Arcade has partnered with some of the biggest names in gaming to create its extensive catalogue of iconic games, including Taito, Atari and Bandai-Namco, Disney and Warner Bros – making it the world’s largest collection of retro games. Antstream Arcade represents the only way that many gamers are able to access the games of the past while supporting the game’s original creators and rights holders. In addition to providing gaming rights holders with a revenue stream for the use of their content, Antstream provides a wealth of gameplay data from players allowing game owners to better decide how to shape their franchises for future audiences.