Every video gamer who recommends games will hear the same question, “Is it on Steam?” The world’s premier game distribution platform, Steam has all genres imaginable. It offers brand new games in Early Access, remade console classics, retro games, and much more, such as:
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Portal 2
- Hades
- Stardew Valley
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Control
- The Outer Worlds
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
Steam also offers many ways to play, such as across devices and with controllers. But, there is now a challenger.
The creator of Fortnite, Epic Games, started a direct competitor to Steam, Epic Games Store, in 2018. It offers a way for gamers to buy games and play them together. But, it also lets game developers publish their games there, just like Steam.
That caused a heated discussion among gamers: is Steam or Epic Games Store better? Whichever is better, their competition will make the future of video games exciting. While we wait for it, here is an Epic Games Store vs. Steam feature comparison.
Historical Overview
In 2003, a game developer company called Valve launched its own platform: Steam. The purpose of Steam was to keep all Valve games updated without user intervention. Users liked it so much that by 2005 Steam started offering third-party games.
Soon enough, Steam users could get new games, play with friends, or sell their items and games on Steam. Today, the Steam feature list is endless: voice chat, game streaming, etc.
In 2017, another game developer, Epic Games, launched an amazing game, Fortnite. To avoid publishing it on Steam, which takes 30% of all sales, they made their platform in December 2018. That’s how we got the Epic Games Store, which takes 12% of game sales. It follows that the answer to “is Fortnite on Steam” is a resounding “no.”
The Epic Games Store vs. Steam history comparison shows Steam has a huge advantage. But, that is only on PC and Mac, because Steam also has what experts call “technical debt.” That means there are many things inside Steam that prevent its growth.
The Epic Games Store is much newer and has no such debt. It can adopt new technologies with ease and with much better performance. For example, Steam has an Android app but it has 2.7 stars because Steam is too old, too big, and too slow for Android.
Current Market Position
In December 2015, Steam had 125 million accounts, but many of them were inactive. According to Steam Charts, there are between 20 and 35 million players on Steam at any given moment in 2024. The most played game varies from month to month, but some staples are:
- Counter-Strike 2 with around 1,000,000 players
- Dota 2 with around 800,000 players
- PUBG: Battlegrounds with around 600,000 players
There are 100,000 games on the Steam store, plus 80,000 bonus content, such as soundtracks and cosmetic items. The average price for each is $15, which generated $8.5bn in revenue in 2023. Browse the Steam Charts website for the best cheap games on Steam.
How much does Epic Games make a year? The Epic Games Store had 270 million accounts; the Epic Games Store library had 2,900 games in 2023.
That generated almost $1bn in revenue. To draw in more users, Epic Games Store gives a free game every week. Those stay with the user’s account forever, but users can only play them using the Epic Games Store.
Epic Games Store vs. Steam market comparison shows that EGS has stronger growth. That is thanks to aggressive marketing, such as exclusive games and limited deals, giving up to 90% off a game. Still, Steam earns more per user. Does Steam cost money? It has always been free to use.
Gamers liked free games on the Epic Games Store, but they did not like exclusive games. In some cases, Epic Games paid a lot of money so that a game is exclusive to the Epic Game Launcher. Gamers thought that stopped them from playing with friends.
Key Competitive Strategies
In January 2019, a video game developer made a shocking announcement. It announced that one of its games, Metro Exodus, will be on the Epic Games Store only. The deal was for one year, so after January 2020 it would be on Steam too.
Still, gamers were furious and left many negative reviews for the game. There are no such problems on Steam; conditions are equal for all Steam games. But, Steam does treat successful developers better than the indie ones.
While Steam takes 30% from all sales revenue, that is only 25% for developers earning $10mm. If a developer earns $50mm, the revenue cut is 20%. In contrast, the Epic Games Store takes only 12%, with a special deal if the game uses Unreal Engine.
In that case, the revenue cut is 5% if the game earns over $1mm. As Epic Games said, the store is still profitable with those small cuts.
The Epic Games Store vs. Steam strategy comparison reveals interesting insights. Both platforms realize that developers are the ones that matter. They are the ones making amazing video games that attract users. If they are not happy, nobody is happy.
But, Steam does not care all that much for small developers and wants to keep the big ones. For Steam, business comes first, but for Epic Games, video games come first.
Epic Games Store vs. Steam community treatment is also different. While Steam offers community hubs, in which users can chat, the Epic Games Store has no such thing. On Steam, developers give their updates straight to the users and can chat with them.
In contrast, Epic Games advises developers to link to Reddit and other platforms. That is a problem because people want to stay awhile and listen. Gamers want to feel like they have their own village. They want to chat with people there before exploring the dungeons beneath.
Impact on Developers and Consumers
The Epic Games Store vs. Steam race makes developers think twice before committing. Developers want to have the biggest reach without losing control over their games. They also want to avoid negative press and criticism, which can destroy a good game. They don’t want to be a part of a grudge match between platforms.
The Epic Games Store vs. Steam clash impact on consumers is also interesting. Steam allows for selling of digital items in the marketplace, making it almost like a casino. Steam users play video games in hopes of getting those super rare items that are worth a lot.
They can develop a gambling addiction, especially in games with a lot of items. At that point, they might as well use a real casino, such as sms casino 1€. As for cryptocurrency video games, Steam bans them, but Epic Games allows them.
Technological Innovations
Epic Games runs under Tim Sweeney, who made Unreal Engine, a powerful tool for making games. He understands gamers and knows immersive video games are amazing. His focus is on the desktop market because he knows great games need great performance.
The latest innovations by Epic Games have to do with Unreal Engine, which offers many cool tricks. For example, the most recent feature is clothing simulation.
Though Steam seems uninterested in the mobile market, it has made a handheld console. Its name is Steam Deck and it uses Linux to run Steam. It takes some effort, but it is possible to run non-Steam games on it. You can even run Epic games on Steam Deck! How to get Epic games on Steam Deck?
- Switch to Desktop mode
- Install Proton
- Install the Epic Games Launcher
- Set compatibility on it to “Proton”
Artificial intelligence is the latest addition to both platforms. In January 2024, Steam announced it will allow games made with artificial intelligence.
A few months earlier, Epic Games added Lumen, which uses AI for realistic lights. Gamers should look forward to the Epic Games Store vs. Steam innovation race. As it speeds up, the games will become even better and more accessible.
Future Predictions
Over 50% of all internet traffic is on mobile. Small, short, slick, and accessible video games are on the rise. So, what is Epic Games going to do?
It is going to focus on mobile devices, and even help developers earn more money. Epic Games even fights for their users. When someone tries to limit gamer rights, Epic Games fights tooth and nail.
What is Steam going to do in response? Steam doesn’t seem intent on changing anything as the Epic Games Store vs. Steam competition heats up. Steam does little to innovate, does little to grow or market itself, and does not fight for the gamers. It also does not seem to care about mobile devices or mobile apps.
More Competition Is Always Better
The Epic Games Store vs. Steam race is only getting started, but gamers already feel the perks. They are getting discounts and free games as both platforms compete to be the best. Video game developers are enjoying it too — competition means more revenue for them.
It’s hard to tell who will win, because both are super fast and strong. May the Epic Games Store vs. Steam race continue for many years!
