Which one is your favorite PC launcher and or how would you improve them?

[Hamster Plugin]

The Xbox App was released in August 2019. You are (maybe?) talking about the Microsoft Store which is a completely different thing.

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The Xbox App IS the Microsoft Store. It's a different UI for the same store that removes most of the mobile apps and other shovelware content and focuses on the games.

It has the same issues that MS Store always had, like the folder-lock that stops modding and launching executables in some weird way that prevents some third-party applications from working.

 

[EloKa]

Nah you can apparently buy games on the Xbox app and its outside the normal MS store.

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"Apparently" you can click the MS Store icon and it will load (aka include) the Microsoft Store.
It literally says "Microsoft Store" up there in it's title. Almost like something a platform would do.

 

[Deleted member 5086]

One thing I prefer about the old Steam store layout is how the shared games library was segmented. Your games, and the games of other people you shared with (if it was more than one), were separated and could be minimised or expanded. Now they're all mixed together, which can be a drag to scroll through when it's a lot of games. I suppose some people prefer to just have them all together, though.

 

[.exe]

The store in the Xbox app is not great. I don't believe it even has games on it that aren't also on game pass. So it's not much of a replacement for the other general store app.

 

[Deleted member 679]

Not a fan of the new Steam Library either, but at least it's responsive, just don't like the design. They should let you opt into the old style, if it's not already possible and I just didn't find it.

But you have to be trolling by saying the Xbox App is your favorite, lmao.

 

[eonden]

One thing I prefer about the old Steam store layout is how the shared games library was segmented. Your games, and the games of other people you shared with (if it was more than one), were separated and could be minimised or expanded. Now they're all mixed together, which can be a drag to scroll through when it's a lot of games. I suppose some people prefer to just have them all together, though.

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They added the ability to create dynamic categories for shared games (like last month I think?) so you should be able to easily separate them.

 

[Deleted member 5086]

They added the ability to create dynamic categories for shared games (like last month I think?) so you should be able to easily separate them.

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Ooh, that's really neat. c:

 

[PJsprojects]

For me it's Uplay.

 

[defaltoption]

If Gog Galaxy had more of steams features I'd go with that but right now Steam is the undisputed king nothing comes close. What it does need improved though is its options regarding the ui of the new library, the achievement system needs an overall update, the card system needs tweaks pertaining getting more cards/rarer cards. The cloud saves backup needs to give you more control over your stuff, they should bring back flash sales, they need to allow you to change account login username. Couple other things too but the thing is with steam theyre all kinda nitpicking while every other launcher has huge glaring issues. Gog at number 2 needs to also get more games modern especially but its biggest advantage over everyone is also what hurts it in that regard, i as a pc gamer hate my library being split up. Thats why I'll never buy a game on epic or Bethesda. I also dont buy games on origin (have used access) and have only ever bought one game directly on uplay. Im so glad ea has begun to come back along with Microsoft and im happy there are less epic exclusives but we still have a lot of exclusives to wait on for epic, Ubisoft abandoned it, sony has exclusives on there we don't know if they're coming it just sucks as a steam user.

 

[Deleted member 25117]

Steam and honestly at this point I think they should modernize the back end to optimize the app and fix some of the bugs and issues with it. Will that happen?... Well probably not. But the platform is so old at this point that I think it deserves a complete makeover.

 

[Deleted member 62028]

The one that only launches one game.

 

[FanceeLadd]

I'm one of seemingly many who wants to support GOG in theory, but in practical application I always end up back on Steam because 1) I have such a huge game library built up there, 2) it's where my friends are, and 3) it's the most feature-complete of any of the launchers. Are there problems with Steam? Yes, many, and seemingly more as time goes on. But it would take a LOT to make me move to another launcher/storefront for my PC games at this point. Like, I've snagged so many free games from Epic since they debuted their launcher but I haven't yet played a single one of them because... well, they're on Epic.

 

[Deleted member 11626]

I'm pretty partial to GOG and Xbox, because I have a One X as well and a lot of friends that play on Xbox One. Regular Steam is okay, but I actually do like Big Picture.

Don't care for Epic or Origin, have used Battlenet once, and have never touched Rockstar or used Uplay for anything but getting a free game once.

 

[Deleted member 56306]

"Apparently" you can click the MS Store icon and it will load (aka include) the Microsoft Store.
It literally says "Microsoft Store" up there in it's title. Almost like something a platform would do.

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I'm not at my computer but that looks like the old Xbox Live app and not the Xbox one.

Edit: Yeah that's a different app.

 

[Lashley]

Best: Nutaku
Worst: EGS

 

[Lkr]

Steam easily but I've been using it for close to 15 years now
Rockstar is the most useless
I like gog because no drm and primarily stays out of my way
I won't touch egs with their bullshit anti competitive practices. Ubisoft has me buying games on uplay just so I don't have to use egs

 

[Ploid 6.0]

I like launchers that don't need to launch for me to play the game, so GOG, Twitch Games, and to an extent EGS since it's rare for games to need it running to play. I tried GOG Galaxy 2.0 yesterday and one of the things I dislike about the auto game population, when you sign into the other launchers, is that for games that don't need the launcher running, it opens the launcher anyway so I have to add those games manually.

 

[Metroidvania]

I mean, you're constantly flamebaiting / trolling with this topic since weeks.

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Yeeeeeeeeep. This thread is transparent AF after the last one was locked.

On the actual topic itself, while I prefer Steam (both having the majority of my library, and using some of its features other stores don't have/implement as well, such as Big Picture Mode), I don't think I've ever had a HUGE issue with any of the other launchers - I've not used Bethesda's, but aside from the occasional game crash in EGS that goes unexplained, I don't have any huge problems (specifically in terms of the launcher) as long as the games work and the storefront isn't super slow/overbearing.

(Honestly, Steam is a little bloated at times, but familiarity breeds apathy, a little)

Between discounts and the eventual possibility of coming to steam and/or gamepass, I've much less incentive to purchase day 1.

I do like it when the games are launchable outside the client - Twitch games being the biggest indicator (for me) of this.

 

[RedlineRonin]

Have folks been diggin GOG Galaxy? I dabbled in closed beta and seemed decent but my accounts disconnected sometimes.

Is the open beta pretty solid? I haven't checked in quite awhile but thinking maybe I should go back and give it another look.

 

[mazpratim]

I usually don't play games unless they're on Steam, it's just too convenient

 

[FernandoRocker]

It's actually Epic Launcher.

It kinda reminds me of the Switch OS. Barebones but it a good way. I don't why you like bloated interfaces like the Xbox One or Steam. The Epic Launcher is clean, minimalist, and it does what it is supposed to do: launch the games. That's it.

I don't need no social crap on my launchers.

 

[Rirse]

Steam by a mile. I don't mind the new layout on the frontpage, but I do wish you could use the old library setting it had before.

The major thing I would approve is Steam remove all together or put them behind a secured area all the porn games. I don't want to see Hentai Crush on the store front.

Origin doesn't have a bad launcher, but it doesn't work with 4K display, so it puts everything in a very tiny size.

 

[TheUnseenTheUnheard]

I mean, you're constantly flamebaiting / trolling with this topic since weeks. And you even call Xbox "just a launcher".
Following your "logic" the PS4, Switch, PlayStore and AppStore are also just launchers, so you're technically correct.. I guess?

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So I guess we're supposed to forget that last night happened. This forum is becoming a joke isn't it.

 

[.exe]

Have folks been diggin GOG Galaxy? I dabbled in closed beta and seemed decent but my accounts disconnected sometimes.

Is the open beta pretty solid? I haven't checked in quite awhile but thinking maybe I should go back and give it another look.

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Yeah, that's one thing about it that's a little annoying. I also noticed it disconnecting from time to time.

 

[Rosebud]

I only like Steam and GOG.

 

[Software Update]

I mean the Xbox app on pc for game pass which is just called Xbox hah. Sorry for any confusion again.

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"Confusion" isn't the problem here. It looks like you're trolling. If someone who wasn't a mod made a thread like this and swapped "launcher" for "console" it would be locked pretty quickly.

 

[Santos]

Cute thread.

 

[theusedversion]

Favorite at the moment: Epic because of all the free games they have given me.
Most used: Steam

 

[Deleted member 41638]

Microsoft store is the only launcher I've had consistent issues with. The others can run into annoying problems once in a while but aren't horrible experiences.

 

[Mentalist]

I haven't tried GOG 2.0 beta, yet, but currently the original Galaxy is my favourite, because it's optional. I use it for GOG games that have achievements, but for older titles i just use the old-fashioned desktop shortcuts.

Steam has the best storefront/recommendation/discoverability systems. I would say I'd like Galaxy to get something similar, but really, GOG catalogue is still significantly limited compared to Steam, so it doesn't need those types of search functions (yet). The curation aspect keeps its library pretty limited- If i look under "strategy" or RPG games, i usually get under 15 pages of results- and that's a small enough number that I can actually browse all of them if I'm really curious.

Origin needs a better search function on its store and to stop shoving subscription options in my face.

Battle.net... i use it to play StarCraft II (occasionally, when I feel like playing the campaign) and might give it another whirl for Reforged. It's a 2-game launcher that's limited and self-contained, and I don't really care about it.
-I'm yet to try the WinStore and Uplay, so no comments about those.

 

[sora87]

I only use steam, has everything i need really.
Dubious about the xbox app, i do want to try out game pass sometime but the whole installing games you can't delete thing is pretty dodgy.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

EGS is the best one, and it will improve too. + it has all those sweet exclusive games.

 

[Falchion]

I guess Steam just since it's got the most features but I'd love if EGS can keep improving.

 

[LossAversion]

Cute thread.

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[Software Update]

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This situation started because someone was complaining about the staff offsite. Now the staff is trolling and gaslighting us.

 

[Lkr]

EGS is the best one, and it will improve too. + it has all those sweet exclusive games.

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Free games aside, is this a troll post or serious? I feel like xfire would be a better launcher even in 2020

 

[ghibli99]

I don't really have a strong opinion on any of them. If they install, launch, don't lose data, etc., then it's fine. Cloud saves are always welcome, but not every game has them, which can be annoying. I've had lots of problems with GOG 2.0 and Xbox PC though. Great when they work, but I've had to reinstall both several times.

 

[Star Parodier]

Steam Big Picture Mode. I play 99.9% of my PC games on my comfy couch/giant 4K television/Xbox One S controller setup, so nothing else is close.

 

[inner-G]

The new steam interface sucks, save us Gaben

 

[Deleted member 16452]

Edit: I'm not even right here. Just checked and the old Xbox app totally has a Store tab. So yeah, they've both got a storefront in them. Don't need to use the Microsoft Store for games.

Confusingly, there are kinda three different applications for Xbox/store so you're both kinda right. The original Xbox 'console companion' app doesn't have a store. You'd use the Microsoft Store alongside it.

The current Xbox app does have a store in it. I think people almost entirely use it for Game Pass but you can totally buy games from the app. There's a whole Store tab.

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This is actually wild, it's a store that's there but not there also

"Apparently" you can click the MS Store icon and it will load (aka include) the Microsoft Store.
It literally says "Microsoft Store" up there in it's title. Almost like something a platform would do.

Click to shrink...

I've learned so much that I had now idea when it comes to this Xbox app hah.

I like launchers that don't need to launch for me to play the game, so GOG, Twitch Games, and to an extent EGS since it's rare for games to need it running to play. I tried GOG Galaxy 2.0 yesterday and one of the things I dislike about the auto game population, when you sign into the other launchers, is that for games that don't need the launcher running, it opens the launcher anyway so I have to add those games manually.

Click to shrink...

Yeeeeeeeeep. This thread is transparent AF after the last one was locked.

On the actual topic itself, while I prefer Steam (both having the majority of my library, and using some of its features other stores don't have/implement as well, such as Big Picture Mode), I don't think I've ever had a HUGE issue with any of the other launchers - I've not used Bethesda's, but aside from the occasional game crash in EGS that goes unexplained, I don't have any huge problems (specifically in terms of the launcher) as long as the games work and the storefront isn't super slow/overbearing.

(Honestly, Steam is a little bloated at times, but familiarity breeds apathy, a little)

Between discounts and the eventual possibility of coming to steam and/or gamepass, I've much less incentive to purchase day 1.

I do like it when the games are launchable outside the client - Twitch games being the biggest indicator (for me) of this.

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Holy crap Twitch does have a launcher too literally forgot that existed.

 

[EloKa]

How can we put Mods onto the ignore list?

 

[spad3]

GoG Galaxy 2.0 is AMAZING. If they combined that with Steam, that'd be the perfect launcher.

 

[OSPC]

The problem with GOG Galaxy 2.0 is that it doesn't have offline support, which is bullshit.

 

[z1ggy]

How can we put Mods onto the ignore list?

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Sadly we cant, would be good to have the option.

 

[TheUnseenTheUnheard]

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Nice

 

[demondance]

i like gog galaxy 2.0 since it puts all your games in one place
i just use other launchers to download and buy now

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same. it does everything I want it to, except controller remapping... but I have reWASD which is less of a pain than launching non-steam games through steam, so I'm pretty much set.

 

[Deleted member 16452]

I should give GOG a shot, most seem to have a really good opinion of it.

 

[BasilZero]

Steam

The only thing I want which I didn't want before because I had it is the old skin/library prior to the update 😂

Hmm other than that I guess they could improve the achievement system like have points or levels like the consoles have.

Followed by Origin simply because I used it for ME3 and like the UI

GOG would be a third but never really used it but like the site design

Uplay, EGS, rockstar launcher, Bethesda all rank the same for me

 

[ThreepwoodMighty]

EGS is probably the worst launcher of them all.

 

[Jakisthe]

Steam is the best one, of course, but I wish for a few things:

-In-browser server manager as native for all multiplayer games, ala Battlelog.

-More free game giveaways like EGS, and have the big sales seem more celebratory. I remember when the games would have little achievements which players could go for and then, like, win more free games without needing to grind 20 hours a day or whatever.

-The community hubs could be a lot more robust. The forums are pretty bare bones; it would be nice if it could, say, integrate game discords in somehow.

-More robust mod integration. I feel like Steam and Nexus could be working together so much more than they are, but...don't. And I don't know why not.