Steam is undoubtedly the most used platform for purchasing and downloading video games. It is trusted and well-managed, and you can find almost any game you’re searching for on this platform. However, there might be times when you want to spice things up and try out new platforms.
Whether your country has blocked access to Steam or you simply don’t want to use it to download your games, you may not want to launch Steam for various reasons. Steam also usually doesn’t provide discounts on a lot of newer titles.
If that is the case, then there are various alternatives that will let you purchase and download games even without having to access Steam.
Best Alternatives for Steam
Epic Games Store
Epic Games Store is probably the most popular online games store after Steam. It has games like Valorant and Fortnite, which are gaining popularity day by day, and it also provides several free games at regular intervals of time(one game per week). If for some reason, you don’t want to use Steam or if it’s blocked in your region, then Epic Games might be the best choice for you.
Epic Games Store has a nice and clean UI and has almost all the popular games available on Steam, except for some that are exclusive to Steam or other platforms. The price is similar as well. And on top of that, it only takes a 12% revenue cut from the publishers. It also has a section for user reviews for each game, but the developers have an option to turn it off.
Epic Games Store is a good marketplace for both developers as well as players. If you only play really exclusive titles, then Epic Games Store might have a better alternative.
GOG.com
Formally known as “Good Old Gamers,” it is owned by CD Projekt, the same company that brought you games like the Witcher franchise and Cyberpunk 2077. Their website isn’t fancy, and it doesn’t have a lot of games, especially the newer titles. However, they do have a lot of retro games like Starcraft and Fallout. You’ll also find a lot of discounts on games on this platform.
You may find video games and movies without Digital Rights Management(DRM) here. In terms of privacy, GOG.com is better than Steam or any other digital marketplace as it doesn’t verify or authenticate the games you purchase. You can simply pay for the game and download them through your browser. You also don’t need to install their client app to download the game.
Unlike Steam, you can store your games on external drives and even play offline. And as this platform is owned by CD Project, you can purchase their games like Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 at great discounts. There are also sales for games several times a week.
Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft Connect is a digital distribution and Digital Rights Management(DRM) platform which is owned by Ubisoft. It was developed by Ubisoft with the purpose of providing all their games under a single platform so that the players will be able to find and download their games without much hassle.
They use their own launcher to launch the games, and you can find all of their games here, such as the Assassin Creed and the Far Cry series. It also allows you to add your friends and keep up with each other’s progress and chat with each other. Ubisoft Connect features video games that are exclusive to Ubisoft and cannot be found on Steam, such as Assassin Creed Valhalla and other original titles.
It also has a feature called Ubisoft+, which is essentially a subscription package that lets players play all their games on the day of their release, as well as opt-in for closed beta tests for upcoming games. It also allows you to import Ubisoft games that you’ve purchased from other platforms such as Steam or Epic Games Store.
The EA App
The EA App is the official digital store of Electronic Arts, where you can find all of the video games developed by EA Esports. If you are searching for a platform where you can find and purchase EA games, then there is no better platform than Origin.
It has its own launcher and features, which will let you chat with your in-game friends and join their games directly. It also has other features such as cloud saving, achievements, and cross-platform services.
Users will also be able to subscribe to their subscription service, known as EA Play, to be able to play their upcoming games early as well as participate in closed beta testing. EA Play also comes with a bunch of other premium features, such as monthly rewards and discounts on games, as well as play trials of upcoming games without purchasing.
Battle.net
Battle.net is a digital platform developed by Blizzard Entertainment to provide easy access to its features and services to users. Here, you can find all of the games and DLCs developed by Blizzard Entertainment company. The most noticeable games of Blizzard are the World of Warcraft and Diablo series which you will be able to purchase and download right away from a single platform.
It also has other Battle.net exclusive games such as Overwatch, Starcraft franchise, Warcraft Franchise, etc. You can also download and play Call of Duty: Warzone from this platform. It doesn’t have a large collection of games like Steam and its competitors, but the games on this platform are certainly popular and exclusive.
Like Steam, it provides its own social networking service, and you’ll be able to chat with your friends and join their games. It also has its own forum where you’ll be able to ask different questions and get answers about them, and also get the latest news about your favorite games.
GamersGate
GamersGate is a web-based video games store where you’ll be able to find and purchase games from different developers and publishers. The thing that makes GamersGate stand out among its competitors is that it offers DRM-free games, and it also doesn’t require a client app to download its games. You can directly download the games from their website after making a purchase.
GamersGate has a large collection of games from different publishers, and you can actually find games that aren’t listed on Steam. Of course, you can later add them to the library of their respective client as well. GamersGate also provides discounts on games from time to time. Even on games like Elden Ring, which has yet to receive a discount on Steam, you can usually find it on sale in GamersGate.
It surprisingly has a clean and nice UI with categories as well. There are separate categories for sales, best sellers as well as new games, so you won’t have to navigate through the whole site to find a game you’re searching for and end up buying a bunch of other games in the process.
Green Man Gaming
It is another great website to purchase games at a great discount. It is also a web-based platform that offers DRM-free games, and you’ll be able to download them immediately after making a purchase. It features games from multiple platforms such as PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, as well as from various publishers.
It also offers different payment methods on games, so you don’t have to depend upon Paypal or a credit card like on Steam. It boasts more than 10000 games on their websites, so you’ll be able to find almost every game that is available on Steam. Also, every key they sell comes directly from the game’s publishers, so there is a little chance that you’ll be getting scammed.
Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is another digital storefront that offers a variety of games, software as well as books for purchase and download. It also uses web browsers as its main platform and doesn’t force users to download their client app. You can directly purchase games from their website and download them immediately after the purchase.
It has lots of games and software, including new AAA titles, on its store. They also sell games at a discounted price from time to time. Another noticeable thing about this website is that you can download different bundles of the game and pay the price you want. They also work for the betterment of society by donating a portion of the sale towards various charities.
G2A
G2A is a digital storefront that sells all sorts of electronic products along with video games. They also sell gift cards and software for all platforms. The best part about this website is that there are different sellers selling the same product for different prices, so you can choose the best price from among them.
The products in G2A are also usually cheaper than that of its competitors. And it is all safe and legit as long as you purchase from their official website, so there is a little chance of being scammed as well. It is a good alternative for Steam, especially if you plan on purchasing different games and software from the same platform.
Fanatical
Fanatical is another web-based digital storefront that sells video games and bundles at a discounted price to its users. It also allows you to purchase these games by using different payment options. Games are usually available at a discounted price on this website, so it can be a good alternative to Steam, where you need to pay the full price to download them.
It doesn’t provide its own launcher to run the game. However, once you purchase the games, you can easily integrate them into your Steam account and launch them from there. You can also purchase other things such as software and books from them in cheaper price deals.
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