What Epic's Speed Claim Really Means for Your Daily Launcher

For players, launcher speed is only one factor—background processes, exit behavior, and features like Steam's library updates and calendar may matter more day to day. The friendly rivalry keeps pressu…
For players, launcher speed is only one factor—background processes, exit behavior, and features like Steam's library updates and calendar may matter more day to day. The friendly rivalry keeps pressu…
Key points - Epic said on X it had "vibe coded the Epic Games Launcher to be faster than the other guy." - Valve released a Steam Client update improving startup performance on the same day. - In testing, Steam averaged 9.32 seconds to load versus Epic's 5.98 seconds. - Closing the Epic launcher fully required ending the task twice in testing. - Steam's Big Art update and personal calendar feature were highlighted as ongoing perks.
Timeline - Earlier this week: Epic posts on X claiming its launcher is faster than the competition. - Same day: Valve releases a Steam Client update improving startup performance. - After the posts: Benchmarks run three times per launcher, averaging Steam at 9.32s and Epic at 5.98s.
FAQ
Q: Is the Epic Games Launcher actually faster than Steam? A: In this test, Epic loaded in 5.98 seconds on average versus Steam's 9.32 seconds, so yes on that rig—though results can vary by machine and others have seen Steam load faster.
Q: Why does the Epic launcher keep running after I close it? A: Closing the window doesn't fully stop the Epic launcher; it can keep running in the background and even reopen after being ended, unlike Steam's clean exit option.
Q: What did Valve change in the latest Steam update? A: Valve released a Steam Client update that improved startup performance, coincidentally arriving the same day as Epic's speed claim on X.
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