Steam
Valve's PC game store, library, and launcher, which also runs Windows games on Linux.
Commenters like Steam mainly for running Windows games on Linux through Proton1234, along with its large library, ease of use, and delisted games staying downloadable.567 The most common complaint is that purchases are DRM-bound licenses that can need Steam connectivity and can be lost with the account891011, and several also find the desktop client buggy and unpleasant.121314
Why people recommend it
Linux gaming · 3
Steam with Proton runs most Windows games on Linux, often with no setup.
“Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work”
“Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box.”
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“Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too.”
Library and ease · 3
Commenters call its library and ease of use unmatched and the service good.
“the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched”
“Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service.”
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“The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE.”
Lasting library · 3
Delisted games and older versions stay downloadable for people who already own them.
“Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game.”
“You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game.”
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Right. License pulls happen extremely rarely for digital video games[1] And delisting a game from a store isn't a license pull. Delisting prevents new purchases of the game, but owners of a game prior to delisting can still download and play[2] For example, even though Sony is closing the PS3 store to new purchases after 20 years, existing owners of digital games can still download their digital copies. So my entire
Social features · 3
Co-op support, gifting, and community guides and forums get specific praise.
“one of the things Steam provides is very easy and simple online coop support. So if I ever intend to play with others I go with Steam.”
“I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature”
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“Anyway, what are useful features of Steam:”
Game discovery · 2
Some like its discovery features and curators for finding new or open source games.
“I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games”
“itch and steam both have ways to find them.”
Big Picture mode · 1
One commenter calls Big Picture mode a better game console than actual consoles.
“Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console.”
Caveats and dissent
DRM and ownership · 3
Games are licenses tied to Steam and an account, and some need connectivity to launch.
“You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam”
“all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is "too long"”
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“if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it”
Client quality · 3
The desktop client is called buggy, heavy, and unpleasant, and slower than Epic's launcher.
“the steam client is definitely kind of terrible”
“it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits”
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“the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times”
Account lockouts · 2
Users describe losing access to accounts with no working recovery path.
“I cannot log in to my Steam account, for no reason that I know.”
“I lost access to my 10y old steam account due to their 2fa app getting auto-removed from my iPhone.”
Library changes · 2
Some games have been removed from libraries or replaced with different editions.
“was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam”
“Steam isn't innocent either.”
Store fees · 2
Critics cite the 30% cut, its effect on indies, and pricing restrictions on other stores.
“they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices”
“I love Steam but this is just backwards.”
Forced updates · 1
You cannot skip auto-updates and still launch an out-of-date title.
“Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games.”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Steam Client is now faster than Epic's new vibe coded launcher 5 mentions
- Steam Machine 4 mentions
- GOG is getting acquired by its original co-founder: What it means for you 3 mentions
- Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc 2 mentions
- Just because a game is on disc doesn't mean it will work in the future 2 mentions
- 45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC 2 mentions
Data: steam.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 46
“really like being able to play more games on Steam”
“Steam works as a platform for the purchase itself but not as a discovery mechanism”
“I love Steam but this is just backwards.”
“I very much like Steam features aimed at helping me discover new games”
“You often cannot run even single player games without having connected to Steam”
“My NixOS box is there to run Steam”
“Running up-to-date desktop apps like synology-drive, prusa slicer, keepassxc, kdenlive or even Steam”
“the steam client is definitely kind of terrible”
“it is not an enjoyable app to use by its own merits”
“Nowadays Steam is a better game console than an actual game console.”
“Anyway, what are useful features of Steam:”
“Steam takes about 2 seconds to restore from tray and 10-15 for cold boot”
“1Password, Steam, and Chrome. They all run normally”
“the latest Steam client is a Chromium Embedded Framework that runs at all times”
“People are happy to pay for the software if they know for a fact that company/person behind it isn't being hostile to them. Look at Steam as an example of this.”
“for Steam stuff I go to the old Intel iMac”
“Nothing else installed but steam and games.”
“itch and steam both have ways to find them.”
“light gaming via Steam”
“I once tinkered with the game streaming set up available via Steam, so I could do it in a way where it streamed the normal complete desktop setup.”
“I enjoy the fact that I can play real games on Steam compared to the macOS situation”
“Don't get me wrong, I love Steam, but for video games.”
“Most of the stuff I use is free and excellent.”
“I use Steam but I also know I’m vulnerable to a rug pull.”
“if Steam goes down, your libraries goes down with it”
“you’ve got Steam, which has made Linux an excellent game platform”
“that model remains acceptable only while platforms such as Steam, reinforced by consumer protections such as those in Australia, preserve a reasonable expectation of continued access”
“Steam's policy is that an already published game can only be delisted, allowing old owners to still play the game.”
“My Steam account has 300+ games on it.”
“they engage in some nasty practices, like not allowing developers to list their games on other online stores at cheaper prices”
“a fedora instance with steam on it”
“I did put PoP OS! and Steam on it”
“directly launches either steam or heroic launcher”
“just use Steam and probably play indie and older games only”
“You can not-quite-trivially download all versions of a game that have been uploaded to steam, as long as you own the game.”
“I make extensive use of Steam's gifting feature”
“was removed from users' Steam libraries and replaced with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition on Steam”
Right. License pulls happen extremely rarely for digital video games[1] And delisting a game from a store isn't a license pull. Delisting prevents new purchases of the game, but owners of a game prior to delisting can still download and play[2] For example, even though Sony is closing the PS3 store to new purchases after 20 years, existing owners of digital games can still download their digital copies. So my entire
“Steam isn't a monopoly, it's just a good service.”
“I use Steam for everything, as well.”
“all of the games in your library will stop working as soon as your computer has been offline for whatever length of time steam feels is "too long"”
“Steam+Proton makes everything I play just work”
“the library and ease-of-use of Steam is unmatched”
“Steam works out of the box, and all the games I play work out of the box.”
“Nearly 99% of my Steam library is playable on Fedora too.”
“The 'value-add' that steam brings to the table is INCREDIBLE.”