Why Steam Is A Leading Marketplace For The PC Gaming Community

Along with millions of gamers worldwide, Steam has remained my favorite game launcher over the decades. Even though the PC is an open market for game launchers, many have tried to surpass Steam in its so-called monopoly of PC gaming, but they have always eaten dirt whenever they are brought into competition.

Now, there are numerous reasons why Steam deserves all the respect and love that everyone gives it. 

The One And Only Feature-Rich Storefront For Games

Steam offers a wide variety of features that enhance one’s gaming experience. Valve has always prioritized improving its features over time and adding new, quality-of-life features that drastically improve the user experience.

For example, under the Community tab, the Workshop feature has seen a lot of improvement over the years. By improving its UI, this feature has become more accessible and easy to use for users.

Steam is currently working on its Discovery Queue feature, which solely focuses on suggesting games to users that relate to what they have recently been playing.

Following this, Steam has the Lab feature, purposely created to establish a live interaction between users and developers. Now, everyone can view what Steam has to offer in the future, and the most intriguing part about this is that you can give them your reviews on their experiments.

I admire Valve’s decision to coordinate with its users, which is one reason why Steam is the most beloved platform.

Some of the features that I adore most and are the reason I will prefer Steam over any other launcher are:

• Marketplace: A thriving market where you can openly sell and buy cosmetics for any game.
• Controlability over Downloads: Limit speed, throttling, background downloads, scheduling, etc.
• Points Shop: Customize your Steam profile with endless options.
• Family Sharing: Do you have multiple Steam accounts with different libraries? You can merge them all into one account with a simple click.
• Local Network Transfer: You can transfer your games from one storage hard to another.
• Launch Options for Games: Before a game launches, you can have in-depth control over its performance and visuals.

Now, it’s pretty obvious that if any game launcher is to enter the competition, it should first at least be capable of presenting something that can outweigh some features of Steam.

Why Steam Always Appears Standing Above The Competition

Steam has successfully made an impression over the years that it is the most trustworthy and reliable platform. In my observation, Steam is currently a host of competitions rather than a participant. But what makes this platform so dominating that opposing it ends up in a looming threat of downfall?

Let’s not forget that we must also see things from the developers’ perspective. Steam has deliberately provided its users with advanced features that have revolutionized PC gaming. But, it appears that developers might have opinions that contradict this verdict.

Steam’s revenue share is 30% of the games sold on the platform. This amount is considered adverse for developers as it reduces their margins to an exceedingly low level compared to other platforms.

• Unity charges only 2.5% of the runtime fees, implemented on January 1, 2024.
• Unreal Engine 5 (EULA) charges 5%.
• Epic Games charges 12% of the game’s sales. The platform also offers the Epic First Run Program, in which the developer keeps 100% of the revenue for the first six months.

Even though these competitors appear far more favorable to game developers, Steam always seemed to lead in offering a much more diverse library. So, why do most developers, whether indie or AAA game developers prioritize this pre-eminent platform?

The only factor I see plays a vital role here is the audience’s consent. Steam has acquired most gamers on its platform who do not tend to move to another launcher for exclusivity.

Yet again, Steam’s huge plus point is its ability to provide ever-enticing features that improve with time. Therefore, most developers are forced to select the platform where their games can get recognition without drawbacks.

The competition in this field will benefit both users and developers. But if other platforms are to compete with Steam, they should surpass Steam with its inventive approach, which I have not seen anyone even trying for.

Valve’s Clear Motive In Revolutionizing Gaming

Over time, we have seen a clear perspective of Valve’s gaming involvement and dedication to improving the gaming experience. The only reason everyone considers tranquility in Steam’s higher revenue-sharing model and the transaction fee for the market is that Steam has always invested in providing a revolutionizing experience for everyone.

Providing a forever library that comforts users with ownership of the games is still a primary feature that some launchers, namely Ubisoft, have failed to deliver.

Furthermore, no one can deny the arrival of the Steam Deck that remodeled PC gaming. Adding portability and linking it with your Steam library shows Valve’s progressive idea of taking gaming to the next level.

Also, each game provides a Community tab on Steam where you can scroll through various guides, reviews, and discussions. Let’s not forget about the community content.

On the contrary, the Epic Games Store, perceived as Steam’s main competitor, has done little to match Valve’s work. The idea of only passing exclusive deals and providing a free game per week appears lousy and lacks innovation. It only divulges the rapacious mindset of Tim Sweeney (CEO of Epic Games Store) that it wants to buy the customers rather than attract them to his platform.

Instead of existing as a competitor, EGS has tried to replace Steam. However, the platform did not even provide one-fourth of the features Steam offers in the first place. Unfortunately, there is still no development to make EGS feature-rich.

Therefore, Valve has never considered itself part of the competition as it does not rival any inventive approach platform.

My Verdict As A Steam User

Despite Steam being an ideal platform for PC gaming, I am not saying it is the best. The only reason it is the most prominent is that no other game launcher offers an equivalent user experience.

However, after using other launchers like Origins and EGS, I can most definitely agree that Steam is best for setting up your main game library. Every Launcher has its ups and downs; the same is true of Steam.

Valve is the only one that constantly hustles to make its platform accessible and practical in PC gaming.

So, based on my experience, this gaming platform also has a few pros and cons.

Pros

• A complete feature-based platform
• An active and responsive user community
• Wide-range library compared to other launchers.
• 2-hour trial Refund Policy
• Interactive overlay
• UI is extremely basic to understand

Cons

• Inconvenient chat interface
• Disparity in prices based on region