Ubisoft just killed one of the most anticipated remakes in recent memory, and the community has already built a better solution than the company ever delivered.
The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake announcement in 2020 felt like a promise. Five years later, that promise lies buried under corporate restructuring, studio closures, and a pivot toward live service games and generative AI that nobody asked for. The official remake is dead. But the original game doesn’t have to suffer the same fate.
Here’s the thing about PS2-era classics: they age poorly on modern hardware. Sands of Time in particular runs like it’s fighting against every advancement in PC gaming over the past two decades. Poor controller support, broken post-processing, wonky anti-aliasing. The game exists in what preservation enthusiasts call “the awkward era,” that window before developers figured out how to make decent PC ports.
Fortunately, the modding community has done what Ubisoft couldn’t. Two comprehensive solutions now exist that transform Sands of Time into something that actually plays well on modern machines, including Steam Deck.
Where to actually buy the game in 2026
Before you can fix Sands of Time, you need to own it. Your options vary in convenience and value.
| Platform | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | ~$12 | Most convenient, works with mods easily |
| Ubisoft Store | ~$3 (on sale) | Cheapest option, requires Ubisoft Connect |
| GOG | TBD | Joining Preservation Program soon with built-in fixes |
The GOG announcement deserves attention. Their Preservation Program typically delivers games that work out of the box on modern systems, which could eliminate the need for manual modding entirely. If patience is your strength, waiting for that release might be the smartest play.
The quick fix: Vinícius Medeiros’ fix compilation
For players who want results without complexity, the Fix Compilation represents the gold standard of “just make it work” modding.
Game preservation enthusiast Vinícius Medeiros assembled this pack specifically for awkward-era titles that never received proper modern support. The installation process is almost insultingly simple: download the ZIP, extract it to your Prince of Persia directory, overwrite files when prompted, and launch through PrinceOfPersia.EXE instead of POP.EXE.
What you get for that minimal effort is substantial. The compilation includes DirectX wrapper fixes, restored EAX audio with proper reverb and echo effects, full widescreen support, and modern controller compatibility. You’ll need to manually bind your controls once, but any Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam controller maps without issues.
The real bonus for portable gaming enthusiasts: this fix strips out the old DRM entirely. That means you can package the whole thing and transfer it to a Steam Deck or any other handheld PC. The game runs perfectly on Valve’s hardware with Proton Experimental.
The premium option: Sands of Time remastered Mod
If you’re willing to invest more effort for a genuinely enhanced visual experience, the Sands of Time Remastered Mod released in August 2025 delivers what Ubisoft’s official remake was supposed to provide.
Created by modders borisskyman, loloikabo, and vargatomi, this package includes high-resolution textures, upscaled FMV cutscenes, graphical effect fixes, and higher refresh rate support. Characters and key items look noticeably sharper. Common environment textures receive similar treatment.
The installation process is more involved. You’ll need to download a separate widescreen patch from PC Gaming Wiki, run the mod through a patcher application called Peixoto, apply a fog fix through the app’s interface, and manually transfer texture files to a specific Documents folder location.
The tradeoff for this complexity is significant: the Remastered Mod doesn’t strip DRM and requires launching through third-party software. Steam Deck compatibility becomes complicated. For handheld play, the simpler Fix Compilation remains the better choice.
Getting Sands of Time running on Steam Deck
The process of transferring a modded PC game to Steam Deck intimidates players who’ve never ventured beyond the official Steam library. It shouldn’t. The entire operation takes about thirty minutes, even for complete beginners.
Start by downloading the game to your PC and applying the Fix Compilation. Compress your Prince of Persia directory into a ZIP file. Install KDE Connect on both your PC and Steam Deck, which enables wireless file transfers when the Deck runs in Desktop mode.
Transfer the ZIP to your Deck, extract it somewhere accessible, locate PrinceOfPersia.EXE, right-click it, and select Add to Steam. In the game’s Properties, change the display name to something recognizable and force Proton Experimental under Compatibility settings.
Return to Gaming Mode and launch. First startup takes a few seconds longer than usual, but performance afterward matches or exceeds the PC experience.
Why this matters beyond one game
The cancellation of Sands of Time’s remake reflects broader problems at Ubisoft that extend far beyond a single title. Studios are closing. Jobs are disappearing. The company appears committed to live service monetization and AI integration that serves shareholders more than players.
But the community response demonstrates something important about game preservation. When corporations abandon their own legacy, players step in. Volunteer modders with no financial incentive spend hundreds of hours ensuring that classic games remain playable. They do it because the work matters to them personally.
Sands of Time deserved an official remaster. It deserved the visual overhaul and quality-of-life improvements that modern remakes typically provide. Instead, it got five years of delays followed by cancellation.
What it also got was a community that refused to let it fade into unplayability. The Fix Compilation and Remastered Mod exist because individuals cared enough to build them. That’s not a replacement for corporate responsibility toward gaming heritage, but it’s something.
GOG’s Preservation Program announcement offers hope that legitimate platforms might eventually shoulder more of this burden. Until then, the tools exist for anyone willing to spend an afternoon with them.
If Ubisoft won’t preserve Prince of Persia properly, what obligation do players have to wait for official solutions that may never arrive?
