Steam pre-emptively killed the only advantage Epic Games’ vibe-coded store would have had
Steam updated its client to improve start-up performance, reducing cold-start launch times by about five seconds, according to Valve. The change brings Steam’s launch speed broadly in line with Epic Games’ newly announced store, weakening a performance advantage Epic had highlighted.
Valve’s 13 October update says start-up performance has improved, with reported launch times ranging from five to seven seconds depending on the computer. The article’s writer measured about eight seconds, still around 20 per cent faster than Epic’s reported figure; users have also shared results near five seconds. Epic’s store is described as lacking features such as reviews, community pages, a workshop, guides and forums.
- Steam’s update cut cold-start times by about five seconds.
- Launch speeds now broadly match Epic’s reported performance.
- Epic’s store is described as lacking many community features.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Steam’s faster start-up is a practical improvement for users and shows that established platforms can respond quickly when rivals expose a weakness. If launch speed was one of Epic’s few clear advantages, matching or surpassing it may also give Steam users less reason to switch while preserving the features they already value.
The case against
Epic’s store may still offer a simpler or faster experience on some computers, and the reported timings vary by device and measurement, so Valve’s update does not necessarily erase its performance edge for everyone. A new store can also compete through a leaner design or different priorities, while Steam’s broader feature set does not by itself establish which platform best serves each user.