Epic vs Steam speed test after the boost
For those of us who spend countless hours immersed in PC gaming, our desktop often becomes a chaotic landscape of icons and browser tabs. But the true stress point often lies not in the visual clutter, but in the frustrating startup delays caused by the game launchers themselves. Among the digital gatekeepers—Steam and the Epic Games Store—the debate over performance is constant, and frankly, deciding which client reigns supreme requires some serious testing.
Recently, the noise escalated. Epic Games publicly claimed they had “vibe coded the Epic Games Launcher to be faster than the other guy,” setting the stage for a direct performance showdown with Valve’s Steam Client, which also released an update emphasizing improved startup performance. Naturally, the only way to settle this argument is through rigorous, personalized benchmarking.
To determine the true champion, I dove into the metrics. Using my own rig, equipped with an RTX 4070 Super, I timed how quickly each client loaded into their respective storefronts after launching them from the system tray. Running multiple tests and averaging the results gave us the raw data we needed.
The results painted a clear picture. While some external tests suggested Steam loaded into its library slightly faster, in my specific environment, the Epic Games Launcher demonstrated superior startup speed, clocking in at an average of 5.98 seconds, compared to Steam’s 9.32 seconds.
Despite the data, the experience remains subjective. There are functional differences beyond mere startup speed. For example, managing the two launchers can be trickier. Exiting the Steam client involves a simple click sequence, whereas the Epic Launcher requires a slightly more complex approach to ensure it fully shuts down in the background.
This small functional difference aside, the preference leans toward Steam for certain features. I appreciate the recent Big Art update, which has genuinely spruced up the game library, and the integration of the “personal calendar” feature, which helps keep track of upcoming titles—even if it means another notification for a cosy horror game I might actually play.
Even where Steam shows its flaws, the experience is largely enjoyable. Valve continues to address persistent quirks, though aspects like the bouncing logo screensaver remain points of contention. Ultimately, while the performance metrics point to a narrow win for the Epic Launcher on my system, the experience is about finding the balance between raw speed and a clean, functional interface. And in that balance, Steam remains my client of choice.
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