Epic’s AI-written store launcher starts faster than Steam, company says
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Epic Games has released a preview of a redesigned Epic Games Store launcher, newly drawing attention to the company’s use of AI to write its code. Epic says the launcher is faster than Steam in some tasks, but describes it as “vibe coded”, a practice that raises questions about how well AI-generated software can be maintained and secured.
Epic claims the launcher starts in 5.47 seconds, 46% faster than Steam on a cold start, and restores from the system tray 14% faster. The feature-light preview includes voice chat, customisable library views, game information and download speed details. The release follows CEO Tim Sweeney’s stated push for “maximum AI acceleration” across Epic.
- Epic has released an AI-coded store launcher preview.
- The company claims a 5.47-second start, 46% faster than Steam.
- The early build includes voice chat and customisable library views.
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Epic Games makes the Epic Games Store, a digital shop and launcher for PC games. Steam, run by Valve, is a larger competing service used to buy, organise and start games. These launchers also provide features such as friends lists, game updates and chat.
“Vibe coding” refers to using AI to generate code, rather than writing each part by hand. It has drawn attention to questions about how easily AI-generated software can be checked, maintained and secured. Launcher speed matters to players because it affects how quickly they can open the app and get to their games.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A faster, more responsive launcher could make it easier for players to access games, and Epic’s preview offers concrete performance claims alongside useful features such as voice chat and customisable library views. Using AI to generate code may help a company deliver improvements more quickly, provided the resulting software is properly reviewed, secured and maintained.
The case against
A launcher that is quicker in a preview may still fall short if AI-generated code creates maintenance, security or reliability problems over time. Epic’s performance figures are company claims, and a feature-light preview does not yet show whether the redesign will work as well for users or remain dependable as it grows.
Full account
Epic Games has released a preview of a redesigned Epic Games Store launcher, promoting it as faster and more responsive than its current version. The announcement drew attention for its opening line, which said the launcher had been “vibe coded” — a term for using generative AI to produce code, sometimes without the programmer fully understanding how it works.
Epic says the preview is deliberately limited in features, likening it to a speedboat rather than a yacht, while noting that it includes a shopping cart. The company lists voice chat, more information about games in users’ libraries, customisable library views, quicker filtering and additional download speed data among the additions. It also says the launcher can display games installed through Steam, and that this is the first version available on Linux.
The company’s performance comparison says the new launcher starts in 5.47 seconds, 46 per cent faster than Steam on a cold start, and returns from the system tray to the library 14 per cent faster. Those figures are Epic’s own claims. The second outlet reports that its reviewer found the preview less clunky than the existing launcher, while also arguing that it offers few distinctive features compared with competing storefronts.
The launch also landed amid discussion of Epic’s wider use of AI. CEO Tim Sweeney had recently said the company was reallocating developers to accelerate AI work, with the stated aim of helping teams make more and better products. The second report connects the launcher’s upbeat presentation to layoffs Epic made in March, saying 1,000 jobs were cut and estimating that staffing had fallen by about a quarter from the 4,000 employees remaining after 2023 cuts. The first report focuses more on concerns about the maintainability and security risks associated with AI-generated code, and places the announcement within Sweeney’s broader pro-AI stance.
Where outlets differ
The first report foregrounds potential software security and maintenance concerns, while the second centres on the timing and tone of the announcement after Epic’s layoffs.
The second report adds a reviewer’s assessment, the ability to access Steam-installed games and Linux availability; the first instead details several launcher features and Epic’s performance figures.
The second report says the launcher does not resolve the Epic Games Store’s lack of a distinct identity. The first does not make that broader assessment.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Epic Brags That Its New ‘Vibe Coded’ Store Launcher Is Faster Than Steam”.