Since the launch of the Epic Games Store in 2018, it has become one of the more popular video game storefronts competing with the likes of Steam, GOG, Origin, and more. Much of its success comes from exclusivity agreements with developers and dropping licensing fees for games created using Unreal Engine. Although Epic Games Store won't take over Steam's dominant position, it has nonetheless remained profitable.
While the Epic Games Store is a straightforward client that's easy to use, it also has drawn criticism for its lack of features when compared to platforms like Steam. Over the past few years, Epic Games has laid out a roadmap for updates in future development but many of the planned features remain unimplemented. As a result, the storefront feels lacking compared to many of its competitors.
Missing Epic Games Store Features
The Epic Games Store has a number of missing store features that hold it back from truly competing with the biggest game storefronts. For example, the lack of a shopping cart is strange given that users will often buy multiple games at once and won't want to re-enter their billing information. Though Epic Games has stated that shopping carts would be coming later this year, there are still very few updates regarding its development. Another important missing store feature is gifting which is currently planned but like other features, has no concrete timeline.
User reviews are also a widely requested feature that has yet to be implemented in the Epic Games Store. Currently, it displays official scores by critics but for many users, reviews from fellow players are often valued more. Originally, it seemed that Epic Games was against adding user reviews in order to combat review bombing but eventually they relented and stated that it would be optional for developers once implemented. Regardless, it's a key feature missing from the Epic Games Store that would help inform players' decisions.
Missing Epic Games Library Features
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The Epic Games Store launcher is also missing a lot of basic features for user libraries compared to other launchers. There's no way for users to sort their library by tags, folders, or categories which can be annoying for those with larger libraries. During downloads, there's also a lack of important information such as remaining time or disk space available before installation. Although these features are minor, they quickly become an annoyance once they add up.
Moreover, there's also a number of bigger library issues that have yet to be addressed by Epic Games. For example, there is no way to detect currently installed games on a drive. Users who get a new drive or want to swap their games to an SSD will need to wrangle with directories and canceling downloads to make it happen. Considering the biggest clients like Steam, GOG, Origin, and Uplay all have this feature, it seems like a massive oversight on Epic Games' part.
There's also no option for users to rush a specific update or download which can be irritating for those who have multiple updates but want to play a particular game first. Currently, this isn't on the planned roadmap for Epic Games but it remains an annoying problem for those with larger libraries. Although it seems the intention is to make the Epic Games Store library easy to use, its limitations make it feel a lot emptier than its competitors.
Missing Social Features
The Epic Games Store is also sorely lacking many social features that help games foster communities among its player base. Recently, Epic Games announced that it would begin incorporating more social features such as group chats, player profiles, and an optimized searching tool to find friends. Although not all of these changes have been implemented, they are laid out in the roadmap and should come out at some point in the future.
However, even with these extra social features, the Epic Games Store feels like it's missing much of what makes platforms like Steam so great for communities. For example, there's no forums or discussion for specific games so players can discuss the game with others. The community hub that Steam includes for every game is important for players to post reviews, guides, artwork, screenshots, and streams of the game. This is particularly important for indie games or games with smaller player bases to develop a sense of community among its players.
As a result of these missing social features, it's difficult for the Epic Games Store to have tailored recommendations for players the way other clients do. However, the lack of community features also makes it difficult for players to recommend other games to one another as well. The end result is that a lot of indie or lesser-known titles won't see as much representation as they would on Steam or GOG. With the exclusivity deals from AAA publishers as well, indie titles can't compete on Epic Games Store and have no way to organically build a fanbase like Early Access or forums do on Steam.
The Future of Epic Games Store
Epic Games Store manages to do a few things right but without many of the features that its competitors have, it doesn't stand out in the PC gaming market. Understandably, the roadmap in place will take time to update as the storefront is still relatively new compared to its competitors. However, some of the widely requested features don't appear in the roadmap at all and it's impossible to tell if Epic Games will ever incorporate them.
Beyond the big issues like the lack of community features or library organization, Epic Games Store lacks the basic quality of life upgrades that should've happened a long time ago. Adding a shopping cart or the ability to detect already installed games are simple fixes that save users a lot of time and effort yet they remain unseen three years later. Ultimately, it still feels like the Epic Games Store is playing catchup with other storefronts as they slowly trickle in more overhauls and added features to the client. The Epic Games Store might never overtake the likes of Steam but at the very least, it should look to continually improve access for its users to stay competitive.