Epic launcher is faster than Steam
The epic overhaul of the Epic Games Store is finally here, bringing a radically redesigned client to players across Windows, Mac, and Linux. This isn’t just a cosmetic refresh; it’s a fundamental architectural shift, promising significant performance boosts and a whole new way to interact with PC gaming storefronts.
Early demonstrations of the new client have already generated buzz. Epic claims the technical improvements have been substantial, reportedly halving the launcher’s startup time and making the journey from a cold start to the store page up to 46% faster than Steam. While Epic states these improvements were verified by an external vendor, the sheer speed advantage immediately signals a major win for user experience.
Beyond the speed metrics, the interface itself has undergone a major transformation. The redesigned library view is a standout feature, offering players a cleaner, more intuitive space. Perhaps most useful is the new design’s ability to easily integrate shortcuts, allowing users to bring in game entries from Steam and other platforms directly into the Epic ecosystem.
The journey to this new platform was clearly guided by cutting-edge technology—and a healthy dose of creativity. Epic describes the development process as being “vibe coded,” a playful nod to using artificial intelligence tools to rapidly prototype and build new features and capabilities from the ground up in a different tech stack.
When pressed on the role of AI in this massive undertaking, Epic’s General Manager, Martin Keely, confirmed that AI was utilized to write and review entirely new code, rather than just analyzing existing code. This signals a complete rethinking of the foundation of the store and launcher shell.
This focus on AI permeates Epic’s broader strategy. CEO Tim Sweeney has emphasized a massive pivot in the company, aiming to put developers on a path for maximum AI acceleration. The goal is not simply to reduce headcount, but to unlock the potential for teams to build significantly more and better content, bringing these AI benefits to all teams using Unreal Engine.
This commitment to the future is evident in their development pipeline, with reports that the team is pushing for an “AI first” approach, exemplified by a major pivot in their Star Wars and Marvel crossover project. It seems Epic is unafraid to challenge the status quo, openly embracing the use of AI to redefine what’s possible in game development.
For now, the new client is being treated like a beta test, with Epic opting for a gradual rollout and relying on community feedback to refine the experience. Interested gamers can download the preview client now at launcher.epicgames.com, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
In parallel with the storefront overhaul, Epic is also working on infrastructure enhancements, including upgrading Easy Anti-Cheat to better support cross-platform gaming, which will pave the way for bigger strides in games like Fortnite moving onto Linux.
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