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Steam, Battle.net, and Epic Games Store have a lot in common. They’re all digital video game storefronts for Microsoft Windows and macOS, but are nonetheless operated by entirely different companies.
In some cases, like with Steam and Epic Games, there’s an overlap in regards to which games you can buy and, subsequently, play. They’re fairly similar in their functions but are nonetheless noticeably different when it comes to user experience, feature set, overall speed, and the way in which they affect your PC — they’re not all as well optimized or speedy as one would expect.
They might look similar, but there’s nonetheless a world of difference between them.
Which Video Game Storefront Should I Use?
The answer is rather simple: all three. There’s really no reason why you should favor one over the other when they all have their own unique benefits and virtues. If you’re into Blizzard titles, you’ll have to use Battle.net. That much is a fact.
The Epic Games Store is the least responsive and, frankly, the most austere. Still, the company behind it has the tendency to shower its users with free games every few weeks or months, and that includes both indies and AAA titles. They’re not doing that out of any benevolent urge, though, as it’s a fairly ingenious attempt at luring people in and increasing their playerbase. And, well, it works about as well as you’d expect.
It is by no means the most popular storefront out there but once you’ve accrued a respectable library, it’s hard not to use it from time to time, despite its many flaws and deficiencies. Moreover, Epic’s quarterly sales are absolutely spectacular.
It’s a win-win, really: we get the games we love at insane discounts, and Epic gets more users, so it’s really hard to complain.
Steam vs Epic Games | Valve’s Storefront Has No Equal
Steam is undeniably the most well-rounded and feature-rich. It’s the one basically everyone uses and it’s also the most versatile. Steam Sales aren’t always all that tremendous, but the software itself works as intended (for the most part).
It’s also a much better storefront/launcher as it’s easier to navigate. It has around 50,000 titles which dwarfs the ~2,000 from Epic Games. So from a quantity perspective, it’s way ahead.
Still, for the uninitiated, Steam might seem a bit too overwhelming. It has too many features and options, too many menus and things to click on. Be that as it may, once you submerge yourself in all it has to offer, things start making a lot more sense — it all becomes “second-nature.”
Steam also has a much larger community and it offers a myriad of different ways to connect, communicate, and queue up.
It’s the number one option for a very good reason and, frankly, that isn’t going to change any time soon.
Which Storefront Has the Most Free Games? | Steam vs Epic Games
That depends on what you deem as free. If you’re talking about free-to-play games, then that’s Steam — it has the largest library by far. As for freebies and giveaways, that’s the one area where Epic Games stands out.
If you logged in and clicked what needed clicking, you could’ve claimed Dishonored, Mortal Shell, Death Stranding, Metro: Last Light, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Borderlands 3, Bioshock: The Collection, Tomb Raider Trilogy, Control, Among Us, Civilization 6, Grand Theft Auto 5, The Stanley Parable, Watch Dogs 2, Alan Wake, Batman: Arkham Collection, and hundreds of others, both indies and AAA titles alike.
We’re talking about some of the best and most popular games out there, all of which, at some point, were available for free.
Why would Epic give away so many amazing games? The answer is rather simple: to stand a better chance at competing with Steam and, in doing so, increasing its user base.
Where Should I Buy My Games? | Steam vs Epic Games
That depends on what you’re after. Want the largest selection of titles imaginable? You’d have to go with Steam. Want incredible deals and freebies? Epic Games is the way to go. Battle.net is basically just reserved for Activision Blizzard titles, although some of them can also be bought on Steam.
Let’s say you want to buy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game that is available both on Battle.net and Steam. Which storefront/launcher should you go with? The latter would be more a bit convenient and, seeing how both versions utilize the same servers, you wouldn’t be losing out on much (if anything) by going with Valve’s stupendously popular launcher.
If you already have a sizable Steam library, then buying the game on Battle.net wouldn’t make much sense. Still, it all boils down to personal preference and where the vast majority of your games happen to be located.
Steam also has numerous bells and whistles like Family Share, Remote Play, and so on and so forth which definitely sweetens the deal. Either way, you’re getting the exact same game no matter where you buy it.