PC gaming has become inundated with an excessive number of launchers, each vying for a piece of the success that Steam has enjoyed since its inception. It can be overwhelming to manage all these different storefronts and libraries, but there are ways to streamline your gaming experience and consolidate your library.
My preferred method for unifying PC games is through Steam. With its widespread popularity among gamers and robust organizational tools, Steam makes it easy to add external games or applications to your library. Simply select “Add a game” and then “Add a non-Steam game” to include games from other platforms.
To ensure a seamless experience, it’s important to customize game names within Steam to reflect their actual executables rather than generic launcher names. Additionally, for games that are not part of the Steam ecosystem, tools like UWPHook can help integrate UWP apps into your library.
For a more comprehensive solution, Playnite and GOG Galaxy offer additional features and compatibility with various storefronts. Playnite, in particular, stands out for its open-source nature, extensive plugin support, and customization options. On the other hand, GOG Galaxy provides a more straightforward experience but lacks some of the advanced features of Playnite.
While these platforms may not offer the same level of polish as Steam, they provide alternative methods for consolidating your game library and reducing the need to navigate multiple launchers. By taking the time to organize your games through these tools, you can not only simplify your gaming experience but also potentially improve performance by reducing the number of active launchers.
