Epic Games Vibe-Codes New Launcher; Claims Faster Speeds Than Steam

In 2018, Epic Games launched its own Store, seeking to capture more PC market share from Valve’s Steam. Since then, Epic Games has employed various strategies, such as offering reduced cuts from developers on each sale or even purchasing games outright. One recent move involved announcing a faster and more responsive version of the Epic Games Store (EGS).

The new launcher is a result of "vibe coding," a technique Epic Games claims enhances performance and design. In the announcement, Epic Games compares the speeds of the new launcher to Steam, stating that it is nearly twice as fast in starting the store and restoring from the system tray to the library. The new EGS also features dedicated pages for games, a unified downloads page, and collections, features that have been available on Steam for some time.

While these enhancements are welcome, the argument against the EGS remains that Epic Games has been playing catch-up with Valve's storefront for over a decade rather than introducing truly innovative features. Epic Games' decision to tout the new launcher as a result of generative AI, a technology many gamers oppose, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

Epic Games has also advised competitive players and developers to avoid the preview version of the new launcher. However, a company spokesperson clarified that once the launcher is integrated into games, there will be no issues and all services will function as intended. The new EGS can be downloaded from the link provided in the announcement.