Games are the most popular form of entertainment nowadays, especially since the pandemic hit the whole planet and forced people to stay in their homes, looking for ways to have fun.
Luckily, finding gaming clients has never been easier. Since Steam became popular, people have tried to develop new platforms and create an alternative gaming paradise for those not so into Steam.
Playing League of Legends and Dota2 on Steam is become very popular among youths. Many servers on Steam sell “Unranked LoL smurf accounts” to rank up in League of Legends and play seamlessly.
So, if you’re interested in discovering the best desktop gaming platforms currently available and learning more about their features and functionality, you’re in the place to be. Below are some of the most popular PC gaming clients ranked by popularity, functionality, features, and services.
1. Steam
We can’t list gaming clients without mentioning Steam, undoubtedly the most popular gaming platform. So, if we’re going to rank gaming clients by popularity, it’s clear Steam must be the first on our list.
This globally popular digital distribution service started operating back in 2003. Since then, Steam has been providing a service for purchasing and downloading games, and it also has a vast community of active users.
Valve Corporation is a proud developer of both Steam and some of the games exclusively available on the Steam platform, such as Counter-Strike and Dota 2.
However, the crucial reasons Steam is so popular are obvious. This gaming client hosts some of the major releases in the gaming industry, and it has thousands of different games available for downloading and purchasing at any moment. Despite Valve having problems with its previous hardware products, Steam Deck seems like a promising offer.
2. Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming is another popular platform known for its diverse catalog of PC games. This digital distribution service offers up to 5,000 different well-known games, and it also has an option to pre-purchase new releases.
Green Man Gaming is a smaller platform than Steam, but it offers a fantastic game palette, pricing, and discounts.
The only notable disadvantage of GMG is a limited selection of old classic games. However, if you’re looking for a platform that offers excellent discounts, Green Man Gaming might be perfect.
It has a unique reward program for all its users, allowing players to earn credits and additional discounts on video games.
3. GamersGate
Unlike Green Man Gaming, GamersGate is an excellent place for people who are into older games and classics. This gaming client has a fantastic offer of old games which you probably wouldn’t find on any other platform.
This platform was initially supposed to spread the distribution of games that were extremely difficult to find on standard retail sites. However, GamersGate today also offers thousands of games from prominent developers and publishers.
This gaming client uses a microprogram that downloads the game to your desktop without requiring the client’s use. However, some games on GamersGate require Steam DRM, so you might need to install Steam to download them.
4. Good Old Games (GOG)
Good Old Games is another gaming platform quickly gaining popularity. Most people who want to avoid Steam choose GOG as an alternative for purchasing and downloading the latest games.
This gaming platform has become very popular because it offers DRM-free games through digital media for Windows, Linux, and Mac. You can download and purchase every video game on GOG without installing special software.
On GOG, as the name of this platform suggests, you can find rare old games which are typically not available online anymore.
The excellent advantage of this gaming client over most gaming platforms is a money-back guarantee. If you don’t like the downloaded game, you can return it and get your money back within the first 30 days of purchase.
5. Origin
Origin is a platform initially created to steal Steam’s popularity and become the most popular gaming client. Electronic Arts developed it back in 2011, and it offers a wide range of exclusive new and old EA titles.
Origin is a very user-friendly platform with a simple interface and excellent functionality. Gamers can create their library of games and organize them for quicker access. It also allows players to save their game progress and continue playing on different devices.
This gaming client also offers the option of offline gaming for single-player games, which is a fantastic feature since other gaming platforms typically depend on an internet connection.
Pros and cons of using gaming clients
Gaming clients have many benefits, like providing quick access to thousands of games. Also, it gives a platform for rookie developers to publish their games. You can also find useful reviews and communicate with gamers from all over the world.
One less desirable feature of gaming clients is that game prices might differ according to users’ locations. While it might help some people afford titles, it leaves many gamers unable to purchase them just because of their whereabouts. A VPN for PC can help you evade such differential pricing. The trick is to connect to a VPN server in several locations and check how prices differ. Once you find the best deal, grab it!
Conclusion
There are many different gaming distribution services you can check out, but these are the most reliable and popular options. Depending on your tastes, you might find Steam as the best option with the biggest library of modern games.