In 2019, PC gamers have a lot of choices. Not only does an ever-increasing number of games seem to come out every month, but there are more and more ways to purchase them. Gone are the day’s of Steam’s semi-monopoly, and you might do well to save your Steam sale money for purchases on another platform. With the rise of Epic Games Store posing a serious threat to Valve for the first time in forever, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at the landscape of digital distribution. Here is the lay of the land when it comes to PC gaming in 2019.
While there’s been a lot of controversy concerning the rise of the Epic Games Store and its tactic of securing exclusives, there’s no denying that it’s an exciting time. Every game, even those that you’d traditionally think of as console-first, seem to find their way to PC. Even Japan now gets with the program, bringing its most popular franchises to the keyboard and mouse crowd. From Yakuza to Halo, it seems like the PC is becoming the central hub for all of gaming once again.
Of course, this could all change in an instant. With Google, Microsoft, and others moving towards streaming as a primary method of game distribution, it’s possible that all of these platforms could be superseded in just a few years. At the very least, you’ll probably see a lot more offerings like Origin Access and Xbox Game Pass, offering a slew of titles for a low price each month. It’s all up in the air, so gamers should live in the moment. Grab a game you own from some bundle that you’ve never played before and load it up. In the end, playing the game is much more important than whatever wrapper launches around it.
PC Platforms
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The PC Platform Puzzle | Digital Distribution in 2019
Gamers are spoiled for choice in 2019 when it comes to digital storefronts. While there are definitely pros and cons to each storefront, it can be daunting to shop if you're just browsing. Here is the landscape of digital games on PC in 2019. -
Steam
The longtime default champion of the category, Valve's Steam won over consumers with amazing sales, vast selection, and indie curation. While things have been rough the past few years for the original distributor, it's safe to say that Valve will do whatever it takes to stay competitive, bar hiring a few support people. -
Epic Games Store
Created with the help of Fortnite's immeasurable success, the EGS has hit the ground running by securing a range of highly desirable PC exclusives like Metro Exodus and The Divison 2. While some frown upon these tactics, there's no denying that Epic's generous financials towards developers is shaking things up. -
GOG
Formally known as Good Old Games, GOG is known for offering older titles in addition to newer indie releases, all without any DRM. It is also the driving force behind re-releases of many retro titles that would be lost to time otherwise. Most recently, GOG teamed with Blizzard to bring back the original Diablo. -
Origin
EA's Origin is a long time Steam alternative that offers EA's lineup and a host of select third-party titles. Mainly focused on selling you an Origin Access subscription nowadays, it is a feature-rich platform that only lacks in a robust selection of games. -
Blizzard Battle.net
The home of Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Starcraft 2 recently became the home of Call of Duty as well. Activision is taking a new approach with Blizzard's PC launcher, and only time will tell if future Activision products also make the jump to Battle.net exclusivity. -
Bethesda.net
Bethesda's play at digital distribution has been a half step at best. While Fallout 76 is the first game of note to live exclusively on the platform, not many really want to play that at all. The rest of Bethesda's catalog is available, but many prefer to wait for a sale elsewhere than get in on another launcher. -
Uplay
Ubisoft's launcher is the home for every Ubisoft release, but they're not bound to the store. Unlike most places, Ubisoft sells its games everywhere, even if you have to launch Uplay after you hit play anyway. It also carries a limited array of third-party games in case you're interested. -
Itch Io_
itch.io is a completely open marketplace where anyone can publish with almost no restrictions. This used to give it a unique place in the market, but now it carries on thanks to its pro-indie messaging and low-fi atmosphere. If you want to play something extremely experimental, itch is for you. -
Kartridge
One of the newest storefronts around, Kartridge is the premium game store from Kongregate. It has a large selection of indie games big and small and a few interesting features regarding achievements. Kartridge hasn't made a huge splash, although it is planning to secure some exclusives in the near future. -
Discord
The popular chatting app has several ways to sell players games. They have a Nitro subscription service that comes with their premium options and consists of older PC gems. They've also recently announced that developers will be able to sell directly to their fans via official channels very soon.
