While it is true, video games are one of the types of entertainment content with the largest number of users worldwide, for many years. But, beyond the game consoles, today PCs are the most used to enjoy these games .
For that reason, there are currently many platforms available in which you can find an extensive catalog with titles of all genres, ranging from the most traditional, to the newest ones released to the market. Taking into account that, these are preferred by users because it is more simple, powerful and versatile to play from a computer .
Thus, one of the best platforms you can go to manage video games through a PC is Steam . Which is highly recognized by the “gamer” . Next, learn more about this interface, the steps to download games there and some alternatives about it.
Index:
What is Steam, what is the use and how much does a game in this platform?
It is a digital gaming platform for PC that has been operating since 2003 and since then, it has positioned itself as one of the best alternatives in the videogame industry worldwide . Thanks to this, it has more than 67 million active users during each month and this, especially, because it has a library that hosts more than 12,000 video games .
For its part, Steam offers you the ability to download and install any number of titles on your computer without any problem. Thus, an ideal environment for PC players to save and collect a variety of digital games and also live with a community of millions of people passionate about this type of content, which is known as “Steam Community” .
In this sense, it should be noted that Steam serves to enjoy various games from an account there active through a PC online, allows to make extremely fast downloads so you simply need some minutes to entertain you for hours.
Also, this platform gives you the ability to save your games in the cloud , you can play with a PC command, make use of a voice chat between friends, share all your games with them, etc.
But, surely you will want to know if it is a purely free solution or you will have to pay to make use of it. Well, we emphasize that it is not necessary to pay a monthly fee to be able to enter it, since it only requires the download of the client and its installation.
However, you will have to pay for the games you want to run and if you can’t do it, the same Steam platform offers you a section called “Free To Play” > which basically allows you to find free titles.
Now, as for the prices of these games that you can pay on the platform, it is important to detail that are much cheaper than those managed in video consoles . This, thanks to the fact that the PC is an open platform and nobody has the right to charge for the license to publish a game on Steam or similar interfaces.
In addition, you can get lucky and find discounts of up to 50 or 70% at special times of the year. Taking into account that, it gives you a remarkable ease of payment: Through credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and others), prepaid cards (PaySafeCard, for example), PayPal and even accept Bitcoin.
Steps to download and install a Steam catalog game easy and fast
As we have indicated, Steam has a large library where it exhibits various games that can be adjusted to all the tastes of its users. However, before delighting in that long list of titles, it is very important to know how you can install one belonging to the catalog easily and quickly .
Next, the steps to follow:
Download Steam to your computer
To start, you should look for the program on a reliable website to proceed with its download. But basically, the same store on the platform makes it easy for you to install the file on your PC .
Once you enter there, you have to complete these steps:
- Go to the upper right of the window and look for the “Install Steam” option.
- Once you click on that selection, they will show you a new one screen from which you can place the software . For what it is necessary that your device meets certain specifications.
- Finally, you will get the program on your hard drive, after starting its installation. It is worth noting that it only has a weight of 5 megabytes .
Download Steam Windows
Download Steam Mac
Proceed to install the software on the hard disk
The second step to execute, is to install the program . Which, is completely simple after passing some screens with a brief information about the service provided by Steam, everything related to your license, connection speed and language. In addition, they will ask you for the installation directory .
On the other hand, it is possible that, at the end of the installation process, an update will be downloaded in the system, but this will take very few minutes. In addition, you can also create an account on Steam , if you don’t have one.
In order to open an account on this service, you only need to enter a name, password, provide an active email address and select any security questions. By doing so, you will have access to the gamers community and several menus (Store, Library, News and Community).
Enter the option “Store” and buy
The first option you can enter is the Platform Store . There, you will find a library full of video games of all kinds and at great prices. Since, in addition to showing you the most prominent and recommended content by the same system, it also has a “Special offers” section, where you can enjoy discounts between 50, 70 and up 75% .
On the other hand, you can also make use of a menu available in the interface to browse the entire catalog of games in a sectioned way. Either to review the titles depending on the genre or, just to watch Mac games, demos, videos or personalized recommendations for each user.
Among other details, we emphasize that when you buy a video game on Steam, it is not necessary to renew that subscription to continue enjoying it through the platform . In addition, it allows you to give games to another user and the cost will be added to your particular account.
Move to manage the library
In this menu, you can locate four sections that are: Games, Multimedia, Tools and Downloads . Then, the most relevant indications for each of them:
- Games : In this section you can see the list of activated games in your account, right in the left column. In addition, they show you the recently played titles, the ones that are installed and the favorites. You have two buttons, one is the “+” symbol with which you can choose to see the game icon and the other button allows you to execute that title. You can also choose your viewing method.
- Multimedia : This section relates to the games you have downloaded, that is, Steam provides you with all this information easily.
- Tools : Allows you to locate the utilities offered by the system for various video games (such as Dedicated Servers or SDK, for example).
- Downloads >: Logically, this section shows all the data you are downloading, based on your progress. Be it the complete games, videos or updates.
List of the best Steam alternative stores to buy games
In addition to this great platform, there are also many others that simplify obtaining video games to manage them through the PC. That is why it is also important to know other alternatives to Steam that offer good features, such as the following:
Origin
Apart from Steam, this is another of the best platforms to access a large number of video games from anywhere in the world. Indeed, it comprises a remarkable number of active users today , being one of the most used platforms.
In order to use Origin, it is necessary to pay a subscription , that is, it is a paid internet service and from there, they provide a unique key to access whenever you want and from the equipment you want. Additionally, it stands out for providing very famous titles such as “Fifa” , for example.
Battle.net
From this service, it is possible to distribute and play various titles, among which are: Diablo III, World Of Warcraft Overwatch, etc. Being a platform owned by Blizzard, which brings together millions of users worldwide .
For its part, it is a very well organized platform and thanks to this, users can access their games easily and quickly, of course, after downloading the official Battle.net client on the PC that you are going to use.
GoG or Good Old Games
Although it has users from all over the world, it is a very popular platform among an extensive English-speaking community . This, thanks to the property of CD Projekt, which is responsible for providing classic and DRM-free games. Therefore, no requires an internet connection to run the titles .
It is worth noting that, in GoG you can find several of the AAA and indie titles and also offers the most famous video games in this industry, providing them at a completely accessible price . Especially, because it constantly offers offers every week.
GameJolt
Refers to a hosting service for commercial games and freeware with completely social functions . Thus, an ideal platform for both developers and consumers. As for the latter, it allows them to navigate through different categories with great simplicity to locate the title they want .
For their part, in GameJolt developers can publish their own game and indicate the price of it as they wish ; being of great help to be known in the entertainment industry. As for the service interface, it is very simple to handle and keeps you informed about the brand-new Game Jams.
Humble Bundle
It is characterized by offering games packages or “bundles” during each week. Which, generally, contains three titles. However, if you choose to expand it to your liking, you can pay more for it and get them. Taking into account that, fortunately, these can be adjusted depending on the requirements of each client .
For its part, it is a very cheap solution compared to Steam, thanks to the fact that it admits a minimum payment amount of one dollar or, 0.89 euros . On the other hand, for greater advantage, the platform allows you to allocate part of what you cancel to the charities available there and so, you can help those who need it most.