Shopping is all about choice, not just what you buy, but where you choose to buy it. However, for the longest time, you didn’t have much choice when it came to buying PC games online. Valve’s Steam marketplace completely dominated the space. So, what changed? While a handful of smaller stores focused on niche audiences, Epic Games launched the Epic Games Store to give Steam its first serious challenger that isn't Microsoft. You can do that if you’re the company behind a phenomenon as huge as Fortnite. Steam is no longer your only option for PC gaming stores, but is it still your best option? Let’s put these two game stores head-to-head.
Library
Steam and Epic Games Store both focus on selling digital PC games. Both offer a smaller selection of games for Mac. Steam even sells Linux games, a remnant of its failed Steam Machines console initiative. Their libraries seek to serve all audiences, from fans of AAA hits to indie aficionados to people who own VR headsets.
However, Steam’s years as the de facto default PC game store have given it a massive head start in terms of growing its software library. There’s little you can’t find on Steam. The library includes Monster Hunter: World, Red Dead Redemption 2, and other major third-party games. Steam has Death Stranding, Halo, Horizon Zero Dawn, and other games that were once first-party console exclusives. Don’t forget that Valve is also a first-class game developer, responsible for masterpieces like Dota 2, Half-Life, and Portal, all on Steam. You can even watch random movies on Steam.
That’s not to say the Epic Games Store is totally empty. You can find plenty of exciting, new games, as big as Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and as small as Enter the Gungeon, on the platform. The selection just isn’t as large and comprehensive as Steam’s. What the Epic Games Store does have is a willingness to open its checkbook and pay for timed exclusives. For months, the Epic Games Store was the only place to play Borderlands 3 or Metro Exodus on PC. More exclusives are already coming, like the edible insect adventure Bugsnax. Like Valve, Epic Games also makes games of its own. Epic Games Store is the home of Fortnite, Unreal Tournament, and soon, Rocket League.
If you’re just looking to buy a game you already know you want, both stores will service you just fine. Game listings are full of images and videos. Steam games come with digital-rights-management (DRM), while Epic leaves that choice up to individual publishers. Both stores have similarly intuitive self-service refund policies. If you’ve played a game for under a certain time limit, usually under two hours, you can get your money back if you ask for it within two weeks.
However, a pleasant shopping experience may point you toward games you don’t even know you want. Steam’s robust community features create a powerful, organic recommendation engine. You can read user reviews, browse forums, and follow specific curators (like your friends here at PCMag). Early Access Steam games technically aren’t finished, so you’ll want to read as much feedback as possible. The downside is that having so many things to look at makes for a cluttered interface.
Epic Games Store has the opposite problem. The interface is clean, but only because it’s very basic. Not only are there no user reviews or other useful social features, you can’t even add multiple games to your shopping cart at once. That potential tedium may dissuade you from buying more games, which only hurts Epic.
Fortunately, things get more competitive when it comes to deals and discounts. Steam’s famous seasonal sales leave many gamers broke by the end. Not to be outdone, the Epic Games Store advertises many deals for frugal shoppers. Epic also regularly gives away games for free. These tend to be smaller indie games rather than the latest big-budget releases, but a free game is a free game. Plus, these deals may inspire you to play something you never knew was so great.
Even Epic acknowledges that the Epic Games Store is a work in progress. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen them roll out substantial new features, such as achievements and mod support, with more on the way.
Still, when it comes to rich extra features, Steam operates on a whole other level. Enjoy remote play and remote download on mobile devices. Take advantage of the app’s broadcasting features to launch your video game live streaming career. Use parental controls for safe family gaming. Big Picture mode makes it easy to transition from your monitor to your television. If you run into trouble with these features, the unfortunately poor customer support won’t be much help, but you’ll still appreciate that the features exist.
Epic does differentiate itself from Steam when it comes to one major area: Epic’s Unreal Engine is one of the most popular and prominent game development tools around. Using the Epic Game Store app, you can make the leap from consumer to creator by downloading the latest Unreal Engine for free. A separate developer store includes educational tutorials to read, along with assets to purchase and include in your projects. Game development tools are complicated, but this is an intuitive way to get started that only Epic offers. As for customer service, Epic’s responses could also be faster, especially considering how hackers and thieves love to target valuable Fortnite accounts for sweet V-Bucks.
The Verdict
Steam’s varied, useful features and unmatched gaming library not only make it our Editors’ Choice for PC gaming marketplaces, but make the Epic Games Store look incomplete in comparison. However, that could change over time. Steam took years to find its groove, and Epic seems committed to adding new features at a steady rate. Plus, you don’t need to lock yourself fully into one store or another. There’s nothing stopping you from making Steam your primary store, while grabbing all the free games you can from Epic. The customer is always right.
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