What Gaming Platforms do you use on PC?

[themistermanguy]

After you bought or built a fancy new computer to play games, you'll need software to play them with. PC is a unique beast. It's open nature due to a lack of a strict platform holder, allows several companies to provide a variety of digital platforms on top of it. Each has their own storefronts, interfaces, features, and even sometimes controllers and hardware to go with it. When it comes to these, which gaming platform do you primarily do your PC gaming on? Typically, I've stuck with Steam for the longest time, and occasionally dabbled into the Native Windows 10/Xbox area. I have Origin and Uplay, but honestly, I barely play anything on those places. One platform I recently picked up though was something called Itch. It's a service focused entirely on indie games, many of which are free with voluntary "name your price" options.

 

[CritialGaming]

Use them all when you need to. Depending on game taste. They are all free, why limit yourself and your new expensive machine for no other reason than to deny yourself a game you want?

 

[Elfgore]

I've got Steam, GOG, Origin, and Epic on my system. I use Steam the most, just since I've been on it the longest and have the most games on it by far. It's also instinctive for me to open it up, right after chrome. I use GOG or Origin only if I'm going to play a game on it. So far I've only turned on Epic for their free games, nothing out on it now is worth the price to me, though I am interested. I'm sure that will change when The Outer Worlds comes out.

 

[sXeth]

Strictly speaking I'm prettysure the vast majority are still on Windows. Though Steam for MAcs does eixst its a pretty small niche as even the few MACs available that could pass for gaming specs tend to be 3 times the price of even prebuilds. And Linux support is basically nonexistent. And very few people try and run Android on their PCs, though that is possible.

As the storefronts go, while I'm not the most active on PC by far (doesn't matter that I know how to build one, graphics card makers will still f up their drivers and break stuff, and nevermind the inconsistent actual support from developers of all stripes without some sort of quality overseeance, as loose as the consoles have sometimes gotten). but I"m still generally in on Steam because its still basically the default option. Epic hasn't had anything I've a particular interest in as yet, I do have some GOG stuff. And while I probably do own some of Uplay/Origin/whatever Activision calls theirs stuff by virtue of having those accounts and freebies existing, I don't use them on PC.

 

[Squilookle]

I've got Steam, Uplay, and Origin. I'd imagine it'll only be a matter of time before a too-good-to-pass up deal comes along on Epic that I'll get that too.

GOG remains my favourite store, but because you can buy there without using their client, I just get the direct downloads and skip GOG Galaxy.

 

[Worgen]

I have Steam and GOG, but I mostly use Steam. Its pretty much got everything I could want on it.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Steam and Battle.net. I use GOG as well, but I don't use their client.

Uplay is unstable garbage, Origin spies on you, and Epic is an unfinished piece of crap.

I guess discord counts as well, since you can use that as your launcher, though I never use it like that.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I have Steam, GOG and Epic though I use them very little. 95% of the time I'm either on PS3 or PS4.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

I've had Steam the longest, with the largest library, and probably my most frequently used, but when thinking about it I'd say the Battlenet launcher is open almost as much. I mean, even before I played Overwatch almost every day I was playing Diablo 3, and hell, even opened it for Destiny 2 for quite awhile.

I do have just about every other launcher platform though. Uplay, Origin, GOG, Bethesda Launcher, Epic.

In order of frequency used I'd say:

Steam
Battlenet
Origin
Uplay
GOG
Epic
Bethesda Launcher

Really once Uplay stopped fucking freezing my entire PC whenever it launched, I've had no problems with any of these launchers, I'm just sick of having so many.

 

[Kyrian007]

For me its Steam, Uplay, GOG, and Epic. I've started using Epic more and more but Steam still gets the most use. I wouldn't even count Uplay, its just always on DLC... but I actually have purchased a game directly from Uplay instead of going through Steam. Then I figured if I'm going to buy a Ubisoft game I might as well get it on Uplay if for no other reason than theoretically I could fire up that game and only have 1 frontend running instead of 2.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

For me it's Steam, GOG and Epic.

I've had Steam for 15 years, so that's where most of my library sits, though these last few years I've come to prefer buying from GOG if that's an option. I don't use their launcher though. The Epic launcher is on my pc solely because all their giveaways mean I have a fair number of games on it. I've yet to buy anything from them.

Every time I post a freebie I go through all the steps required to get it first, in case that requires some explanation, and that sometimes requires installing launchers I don't otherwise use. Usually Uplay and one time the Bethesda launcher. No Origin or Battle.net yet.

 

[Strelok]

I use Steam, GoG, Origin, Uplay, I got Microsoft Game Pass, was only a dollar a month while in early access. I played Epic Games Store exclusive Metro Exodus on it. I have Battle.net, and finally Epic Game Store, but I won't buy anything from them, just collect free games.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

Steam, GoG, Battlenet. None of the other publishers with proprietary launchers make games that interest me.

 

[Satinavian]

Steam, GoG, Origin and Uplay. But the latter two only installed for certain exclusives, so i don't actually use them atm.

Mostly it is Steam which has kinda 80%+ of my games.

Some of my games are not on any of those platforms.

 

[Dalisclock]

Steam and GOG are my most commonly used ones. I prefer GOG but there's quite a few games that just aren't gonna come to GOG and a lot of games show up on steam far earlier then GOG, so I've had numerous occasions where I'll wait for GOG to get a game, break down and buy it on a steam sale and sometime later GOG will get the game. Unfortunately, GOG is sometimes bad at telling us when/if they're going to get a certain game(I've been holding out for GOG to get Celeste and Baba is You)

Uplay sucks but I have to use it if when I want to play Assassins Creed, unfortunately.

I have Origin, but I almost never use it because the number of games I own that require it are pretty small.

There's also the Epic Launcher, which I've mostly used to get the free goodies and very, very occasionally, purchase a game them. I've yet to use it to actually play said games though.

 

[laggyteabag]

I use them all and have games on them all. Of course Steam is my primary launcher, and if a game is available on Steam I'd buy it there before anywhere else, but im not petty enough to boycott a game just because it isn't on my launcher of choice.

Sure, if each one had a subscription to use it like Netflix or Amazon Prime, then yeah, i'd be angry, but its just pressing button B instead of button A - its just a little bit inconvenient.

Just remember where your games are, you know?

 

[wings012]

Mostly Steam, though I have the odd poke at some GOG stuff every now and then.

I work in the industry so having the Epic launcher was kinda normal just so I could use UE4, but I haven't updated it for ages since I landed my current job and haven't had a look at the purportedly utter garbage storefront. Also used to play some Fortnite but that was a long time ago.

Had Origin installed just to try out Apex Legends.

Battle Net is installed for Overwatch and HOTS. Also played some Destiny 2 on it.

When I'm feeling nostalgic I still emulate some stuff.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

GOG almost exclusively. Maybe Gamersgate when the rare opportunity presents itself.

I refuse DRM, since I don't condone consumer unfriendly practices.