Steam also includes a tag feature that lets you combine keywords to find hyper-specific subgenres such as “roguelike-dungeon crawlers” or “crab-fighting-RPGs.” Now, when it comes to variety, Steam has EGS beat in just about every genre. However, if you desire a sleek and straightforward UI that allows you to find games without any fuss, you may prefer EGS.Īrguably the biggest category, game selection is where EGS and Steam really come to a head.įor the sake of this comparison, we’ll be separating the quality of games offered from the variety of games offered. If you want detailed information at a glance for each game, Steam is probably going to fair better. Switching over to EGS, you can see things are a lot cleaner to the point of looking a bit barebones in comparison to Steam.Īny news regarding games is limited to the user’s Home tab, freeing up the Library to display games with large icons arranged in a grid.įinding a game is a lot simpler than using Steam’s list format, and once the user decides on a game, starting it up is as simple as clicking on the icon and selecting ‘launch.’ However, once you put them side by side, it becomes clear that Steam’s UI is much more “busy” with features, images, text, and overall information being conveyed to the user.
Taking a look at the UI for Steam and EGS reveals streamlined designs for both storefronts.
Keep reading to see which store comes out on top. To keep things fair, we’ll be focusing on the following categories: user interface, game selection, price/revenue split, store perks, and social features. Now that we’ve established the features offered by both platforms, we’ll see how they compare in everyday use. However, EGS manages to provide an enticing blend of timed exclusives, well-known indie games, and highly-anticipated AAA releases.īeyond game distribution, EGS offers social features such as friends lists and chat functionality.Īdditionally, users can manage their purchases via a built-in games library and stay up to date on sales and upcoming releases by visiting a Home tab. While there are other digital storefronts launched and operated by game publishers, a majority are limited to titles they’ve self-published. This allows users to access EGS via a web browser or as a standalone application through their desktop, similar to Steam. The storefront was launched in December 2018 by Epic Games, makers of the Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and the Epic Games Launcher, which the store is built off of. The Epic Games Store is also in the business of distributing digital games.
Outside of game distribution, Steam serves as a social hub where users can post reviews, participate in community discussions, stream games, download non-gaming software, and much more. While users can access Steam via web browser and mobile, it’s mainly used as a standalone application for laptops and PCs. The company launched Steam in 2003, making it one of the oldest digital storefronts in gaming.
Steam is a digital game distribution platform created and run by Valve Software, makers of popular series such as Left 4 Dead, Dota, Team Fortress, Portal, and Counter-Strike.Īdditionally, Valve created the Source game engine, which is used for a majority of the titles they develop.