Epic Games has released a preview of its next-generation Epic Games Launcher for Windows. The new version promises faster startup times, a redesigned game library, and more customization options. The preview is available to everyone, and users can share their feedback with the company.
Epic is also using the update to take a direct shot at Steam by comparing the performance of both launchers. According to the company, the new Epic Games Launcher starts much faster than Valve’s gaming client.
In a cold start test, Epic Games Launcher takes 5.47 seconds to launch, compared to 10.07 seconds for Steam. Epic also claims that opening the game library from the system tray takes just 0.36 seconds, compared to 0.42 seconds on Steam.
The company says the new launcher also makes the game library up to 30 times faster. However, Epic has not provided further details about the testing conditions behind this claim.
Apart from performance improvements, Epic has redesigned the game library to make it easier to manage a large collection of games. The updated interface includes a detailed view of games, thumbnails showing game artwork and status, and collections that display images of the titles they contain.
Users can also hide games they no longer play and use additional filters to find specific titles more easily. These changes should make the library more organized, especially for users who have collected a large number of free games through the Epic Games Store.
The new launcher also features a cleaner interface, with recently played games highlighted for quicker access. Epic is adding an integrated social experience and letting users customize the top bar to better suit their preferences.
The updated game pages and downloads section are also part of the redesigned experience. Together, these changes aim to make the launcher easier to navigate while improving access to games and downloads.
The next-generation Epic Games Launcher is currently available as a preview for Windows users. Anyone can download it from the official Epic Games Launcher website and try the new features.
Since this is a preview release, Epic is inviting users to share feedback as it continues to improve the launcher. The company has not announced when the redesigned version will become available as a stable release for everyone.
