Today, we’re thrilled to announce Microsoft Azure is partnering with Parsec to give creators building and utilizing real-time 3D applications (RT3D) one-click deployment of their industry-leading remote access technology through Azure.

Parsec is an ultra low-latency, high-fidelity remote desktop that supports a dizzying array of input devices, including gamepads and drawing tablets, connecting teams to their projects wherever they are, whenever they want. With Azure’s 60+ datacenter regions, more than any other cloud provider, we’re making it even easier for geographically distributed studios to deploy pre-configured virtual machines to tackle projects mild to wild.

“Parsec already allows tens of thousands of creators to make incredible things and stay productive wherever they are working, whenever they want, across any device. Our partnership with Azure allows these businesses to deliver this kind of experience to more individuals, and to globally distribute interactive content, in just a few clicks.”

– Benjy Boxer, co-founder and General Manager, Parsec

As more and more people work on RT3D projects, access to hardware has become a real challenge. The 2.7 billion smartphones and 2 billion computers in the world is beyond the scale of the 500 million computers capable of running graphically-intense work.  Parsec and Azure make these high-performance machines available to individuals with an internet connection and a low-end laptop, tablet, and phone, empowering teams to connect and stream these applications whenever they’re needed.

“The transition to fully remote work hindered Xbox Research’s (XR) ability to run in-person user research for Halo Infinite. However, Parsec’s low latency, high fidelity streaming solution allowed us to conduct studies remotely at a critical time in the game’s development. This research generated meaningful and actionable insights that the team used to improve important features on the runway to launch. Since cutting our teeth on Halo Infinite, XR has scaled this capability using Parsec to conduct research across other titles within Xbox Game Studios.”

– Jonathan Winkle, Xbox Researcher

By giving game creators access to pre-configured high-performance virtual machines, anyone with an internet connection and any device can benefit from:

• Performance: Parsec gives you access to your hardware in seconds with near zero latency and unparalleled input accuracy when you plug in a keyboard, mouse, tablet, or gamepad. And video streams look silky smooth, with 60FPS UHD interactive desktop video in vivid color on up to 3 monitors.

• Instant collaboration: Team members can collaborate in a single click, with features like shared workstations available to team members on demand, and guest access so freelancers, journalists, or other outside users can securely collaborate with you.

• Flexible display options: With full support for up to three monitors, virtual displays, improved color mode, and an endless set of supported resolutions, Parsec enables you to personalize your remote work environment.

• Precision gamepad control: With near zero input lag, Parsec gives you full fidelity control over games. Plug in a pad, WACOM tablet, or a keyboard and mouse, and it just works.

• Security: Parsec locks down computers with encrypted peer-to-peer (P2P) connections, so that your team can connect directly (without your data ever touching our servers). Deploy Parsec across your org with confidence: enforce SSO, set session durations, view audit trails, manage via RESTful API, & even watermark streams, with admin features designed for enterprise teams.

Teams can get started today in the Azure Marketplace, game creators can now access one-click deployment of pre-configured Windows Virtual Machines (VMs) that connect to NVIDIA GPUs. This pre-built desktop image includes Microsoft Visual Studio, DirectX, and the Game Developer Kit, optimized for creating real-time 3D applications. Deployment is easy, with most teams up and running in under 5 minutes.

Learn more about how to deploy here.