Epic Games Store Gives All Users a Bonus Feature Steam Has Had For Years

The Epic Games Store continues its slow but steady evolution into a full-featured PC storefront as it competes with Steam. At its launch, the gap between EGS and Steam was considerable, but that gap has closed somewhat since 2018. New features have been added over the years, and the end of September marked a new feature for the Epic Games Store, one that has been available not just on Steam, but on consoles as well. As of September 30th, players who use EGS can now pre-load games ahead of launch, providing a much-desired convenience for this platform.

Pre-loads have been the standard on other platforms before, and Epic Games Store now supports this function up to five days before release for those games that allow it. This feature ensures players are ready for launch day and do not have to wait on potentially lengthy download times, but can instead jump into the game immediately. This is a major step toward parity with other digital storefronts, and it is good to see Epic Games Store take this step.

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As games grow larger and larger, especially AAA games, it is clear how much pre-loading benefits players. It was a glaring oversight for the EGS, especially for PC games that launch exclusively on this platform. The lack of pre-loading, along with other missing features, is why so many PC gamers prefer Steam for their gaming libraries. It remains to be seen if this causes any players to jump across the aisle, but it certainly helps when paired with the rotating free games through Epic Games Store.

While this is a good sign for the platform, users are baffled by the lack of an official announcement on pre-loading. It seems to have been discovered and shared via forum posts and then caught on with EGS players. The company has made bizarre decisions in the past, often delaying seemingly required functions such as a shopping cart.

Users can likely expect more functions to be added, albeit slowly, to the Epic Games Store. The company is striving to broaden its publishing and store infrastructure, especially as it secures major exclusives or timed releases. Even those who prefer Steam should keep an eye on the EGS’s ongoing development, for the free games, if nothing else.

PC gamers have multiple options when it comes to digital storefronts. Steam and Epic Games Store are the most well-known, but other options exist. Ubisoft, EA, Blizzard, and Riot Games are all publishers who offer storefronts, but there are also Humble Bundle and GOG to consider. Each has different pros and cons, and while it may be annoying to swap between launchers, games often remain exclusive to these or offer better sales and experiences on lesser-known storefronts. These storefronts continue to make changes as well, showing how fluid the industry can be.

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