Gaming Platforms · Tool Face-Off

Rockstar Games Launcher vs Steam

Quick answer

Steam wins for almost everyone — it's a massive, polished platform. Rockstar Launcher exists mostly because Rockstar wanted a slice of the pie, not because gamers asked for it.

Rockstar Games Launcher

One launcher to rule... Rockstar's games. Just Rockstar's games.

2★

Our pick

Steam

The undisputed king of PC gaming platforms.

4.6★

Game Library Size

~10 titles (Rockstar only)

50,000+ games

Free to Use

Yes

Developer Cut

~0% (self-published)

30% (sliding scale to 20%)

Cloud Saves

Yes (Rockstar titles)

Yes (most titles)

Offline Mode

Yes (limited)

Yes (robust)

Sales / Discounts

Occasional (e.g. free GTA San Andreas promo)

Frequent major sales (Summer, Winter, etc.)

Workshop / Mods

Yes (Steam Workshop)

Social / Friends

Basic (Rockstar Social Club)

Full friends, groups, chat

Achievements

Yes (Rockstar-only)

Yes (platform-wide)

Controller Support

Basic

Excellent (Steam Input)

VR Support

Yes (SteamVR)

Required for GTA/RDR2

Yes (mandatory)

Launches alongside it

Rockstar Games Launcher

Features★★☆☆☆

Stability★★☆☆☆

Ease of Use★★½☆☆

Performance★★½☆☆

Game Library★½☆☆☆

Value / Deals★★½☆☆

Community Tools★☆☆☆☆

Steam

Features★★★★★

Stability★★★★☆

Ease of Use★★★★½

Performance★★★★☆

Game Library★★★★★

Value / Deals★★★★½

Community Tools★★★★★

Worth knowing

Rockstar Launcher launched in 2019, primarily to reclaim revenue lost to Steam's 30% cut.
Steam has over 132 million monthly active users as of recent reports.
Rockstar Launcher has been criticized for requiring an update before you can even play a game offline.
Steam's seasonal sales can discount games by up to 90%, making it a bargain hunter's paradise.
The Rockstar Launcher has suffered multiple high-profile outages, once locking players out of single-player games.

Rockstar Launcher once had a bug that deleted GTA V install files during an update — the very game it was built to protect. Rockstar really said 'hold my Sprunk.'

If you want

You want to play GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2

Steam hosts these too, with better stability, cloud saves, and Workshop mod support.

→ Pick Steam

If you want

You are a developer publishing only on Rockstar's ecosystem

You keep more revenue by bypassing Steam's 30% commission entirely.

→ Pick Rockstar Games Launcher

If you want

You want the broadest PC gaming library and best deals

50,000+ games, frequent sales, and a feature set that Rockstar Launcher simply cannot match.

→ Pick Steam

If you want

You want free Rockstar games via promotions

Rockstar occasionally gives away titles (like GTA San Andreas) exclusively through their own launcher.

→ Pick Rockstar Games Launcher

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