Unity to Acquire Parsec: A Major Acquisition

Unity to Acquire Parsec for $320 Million

Unity, the developer of the widely used 2D and 3D game engine, has announced its largest acquisition to date. The company intends to purchase Parsec, a remote desktop application geared towards developers and creative professionals, for a sum of $320 million in cash.

Parsec's Core Functionality

Parsec has consistently offered a remote desktop experience characterized by uncompromising performance. Specifically designed with creative workflows in mind, it effectively manages even systems equipped with multiple high-resolution displays.

The platform ensures accurate color representation when streaming work-in-progress visuals. It also maintains compatibility with specialized input devices, such as pressure-sensitive drawing tablets.

From Gaming to Creative Industries

Founded in 2016, Parsec initially focused on enabling gamers to stream titles from powerful PCs to less capable devices. The technologies that made it successful for gaming – namely, minimal latency, support for high-resolution displays, and broad input device compatibility – proved equally valuable for game developers.

Recognizing increasing adoption within the creative sector, Parsec began developing dedicated features and plans for creative teams. The shift to remote work spurred by the pandemic further accelerated the platform’s growth.

The Future of Remote Collaboration

“We anticipate a growing need for creators to work from any location,” stated Marc Whitten, Senior Vice President at Unity, during a recent conversation. “Teams will increasingly be geographically dispersed, or operate in hybrid models combining office and remote work.”

He continued, “This necessitates providing creators with access to the necessary computing power on their chosen devices, regardless of their location. Parsec represents a significant innovation in this area.”

A Stepping Stone to Cloud Integration

Whitten also indicated that this acquisition signals a broader cloud strategy for Unity. “Parsec will serve as a crucial building block for our overall cloud ambitions,” he explained. “Expect further developments from us in this direction.”

Funding and Future Plans

Prior to the acquisition, Parsec had secured a total of $33 million in funding, as reported by Crunchbase. Its latest funding round, a $25 million Series B, was led by Andreessen Horowitz in December of the previous year.

Whitten assured that existing Parsec users should not anticipate any immediate changes. However, he refrained from commenting on potential adjustments to subscription models or pricing.

Update: Addressing concerns about the free version of Parsec, the company confirmed via Twitter that there are “no plans to change anything about the free Parsec app.”