Launched by Valve in 2003, Steam has grown into the largest digital game distribution platform, bolstering a massive library, robust community features, and an unparalleled user experience. While competitors like Epic Games have strongly emerged over the years, none have managed to dethrone Steam as the go-to choice for PC gamers worldwide.

Epic, particularly, strategizes to take a big slice of the digital distribution scene in the future through strategies like slashing their distribution shares and offering free games occasionally. However, I’d argue they’ve neglected the elephant in the room, which made Steam what it is today: great service. So, here’s a list of reasons why Steam is the best PC gaming platform.

6 Workshop and modding

Integrated, accessible, convenient

Modding has been an integral part of PC gaming for decades. Whereas it’s extremely hard to access and alter game files on game consoles, it’s not hard for dedicated gamers to insert CJ into the Silent Hill 2 Remake. With Steam, mods received the treatment they truly deserve by being ever so accessible.

The Steam Workshop allows you to browse a library of mods curated by each game’s community. Installing mods manually by adding or replacing game files highly risks incompatibility between the mod and the game’s versions. So, for non-Steam games, the way it’s usually done is by downloading a hundred files each time the game’s updated. Steam allows you to enable or disable mods from the workshop until the mod creator updates it, then the mod is updated automatically. This was my biggest gripe with having Cities: Skylines on Epic Games: mod-support is non-existent.

5 Community interaction

Forums, user reviews, etc

Steam could’ve been an online video game storefront and a launcher exclusively. Fortunately, however, that’s not the case. Apart from the modding support, Steam cultivates a community of 132 million monthly active users and encourages it to interact in multiple ways for each of its releases. I’ve had countless issues, particularly with older releases, and it’s almost always a 10-year-old Steam Forums post or a Reddit post that does it for me.

In addition to forums, Steam’s user review system is one of its most powerful tools. One glaring issue with other game stores is that they lack user-generated reviews. Although this exposes developers to more review-bombings, it’s still a decent way to help consumers navigate a vast library and inform their decision to purchase. Steam’s user reviews can also be interacted with, as you can vote reviews as helpful or unhelpful.

4 Steam’s overlay

With a very distinct notification sound

I’m not a fan of riddling my PC with software overlays, especially when I’m gaming. Despite that, if I had to pick an overlay to keep, it would be Steam’s overlay. Simply put, it provides invaluable quality-of-life features, such as the ability to open guides, take notes and screenshots, show FPS, and many more. However, its single most important feature is the ability to invite and join friends directly with a few clicks.

One of the biggest frustrations while playing online is the inability to invite friends to games that rely on peer-to-peer hosting. Some countries, including the one I live in, simply do not permit connection protocols that these games rely on. Two notorious examples are GTA: Online and Red Dead Online. This inconvenience forces me to use a VPN to allow my friends to join me. With Steam, this is a non-issue since you can directly invite and join each other without relying on the game's inviting system.

3 Backup/restore features

When copy/paste isn’t that reliable

It’s not common for game launchers to allow backup/restore features that guarantee a safe transition of game files. Have you ever had to migrate between devices with brand-new storage? Maybe share game files with your friends? With many AAA releases requiring 70GB and some exceeding 100GB, it’s impractical to keep downloading the same game multiple times.

The manual method is to trick the launcher into reading that you had the game installed all along by moving it to the setup location. Despite seeming intuitive, its worst downside is that it’s somewhat unreliable, especially with launchers like Epic Games, which can erase your game files with the slightest mistake. Granted, it’s a little out-of-date and isn’t as fast as it can be, but it’s way better than having nothing, particularly for people with limited internet bandwidth.

2 Great customer support

No, Steam, I’m not trying to log in from Vietnam

Customer service in the gaming industry — or, frankly, in any industry — often leaves much to be desired. However, Steam’s support stands out as one of the most reliable in gaming. Whether you need a refund, encounter a payment issue, or, as was the case for me and many others, have your account compromised, finding help is relatively straightforward.

Before the introduction of the Steam Guard app, I had one of my accounts compromised, and recovering it through Steam’s support was surprisingly easy. Although it’s a ticket-based system with no live chat availability, it’s still convenient and quick enough. What also sets Steam apart is its flexible refund policy, which allows users to return games within two hours of playtime, no questions asked. This is a great and often neglected policy that accounts for players with economic PC builds who may need to try the performance of each game before keeping it in their library.

1 Flagship Status

Where the cool kids are

At this point, Steam has become synonymous with PC gaming. If you’re serious about gaming on a computer, chances are you have a Steam account. With the aforementioned 132 million active users, Steam is home to the largest community of PC gamers, naturally making it the ultimate social hub for players worldwide.

Other than its large user base, Steam offers an invaluable gaming ecosystem within the launcher and out of it with services like the Steam Deck handheld device — which is capable of running most of your Steam library and is a valuable asset if you’re into emulating — or the Linux-based SteamOS. Whether you’re looking for AAA blockbusters or hidden indie treasures, Steam is the platform where you’ll find it all.

Competition has a lot to catch up to

Steam isn’t just a game launcher — it’s a complete ecosystem that enhances many aspects of PC gaming. While competitors may still offer unique advantages, like GOG’s robust library of old games and Epic’s weekly freebie, none have matched Steam’s versatility and widespread adoption. Steam continues to set the gold standard for digital game distribution with the great services it provides, and as it stands right now, digital game distributors and publishers with their launchers have a lot to catch up to.