MS Store or Steam? Pros v Cons?

[Los 416]

Hello to everyone!

I’ve been using X-Box Gamepass on my old gaming laptop pending receipt of my new desktop.

No issues with MS Store thus far. 
 

I’m planning on buying the Deluxe version when the rig arrives and unsubscribing from Gamepass.

So should I buy from MS Store or go with Steam?

What are the Pros and Cons of each?

[Pastaiolo 1,688]

Imho Steam hands down. It's a reliable platform, unlike the MS Store. There is no encryptions to files, it's easier to find the locations, you can easily change where to install games, i have most games on it, and you can take advantage of the advanced features (music player, fps counter, taking and sharing screenshots easily, adding friends and chatting/joining them etc etc)

[Los 416]

Does Steam running in the background have any effect on performance?

With MS Store you can disable the game bar for better performance. I know Steam can’t be disabled the same way, thoughts?

[GCBraun 2,392]

2 hours ago, Cmcollazo71 said:

Does Steam running in the background have any effect on performance?

With MS Store you can disable the game bar for better performance. I know Steam can’t be disabled the same way, thoughts?

This is non-issue. Steam is the premier game distribution platform on PC and it would not be if this was a concern on modern systems. 

Edited September 22, 2020 by GCBraun

[illidanx 11]

If you plan to play on Xbox later, buying from MS store will give you a xbox license as well.

[MrFuzzy 2,118]

9 minutes ago, Cmcollazo71 said:

Does Steam running in the background have any effect on performance?

With MS Store you can disable the game bar for better performance. I know Steam can’t be disabled the same way, thoughts?

Yes, you can disable the overlay but having Steam in the background takes about 400 MB of RAM and 0% CPU time.

[Brandon01110 407]

i use the steam version to stream msfs from my gaming desktop to my living room setup. cool feature when you just wanna chill on the couch and fly with a xbox controller.

[Bob Scott 7,721]

After a month of watching the varied trials and tribulations of users on the two platforms, Steam remains my preferred platform.