There are far too many launcher for PC play . Even with various failed assay from secret plan publisher , such as the Bethesda rocket launcher , we have more shopfront , library , and third - political party apps than ever on PC , all of them gunning to capture just alittlebit of the magic Valve bottled up with Steam back in the other 2000s .
I ’m sick of them , and I ’m certain you are too . You ca n’t uninstall all of your launchers if you want to spiel game you have on various shopfront , but you’re able to mingle your program library in a single spot and understate how much the various unlike catapult on PC pester you . Here ’s how I did it .
My preferred method: Steam
There are a few different ways to get your PC game in one bit , but I prefer Steam . The majority of my biz are already on Steam , it ’s an app that every PC gamer has put in already , and it comes with a dense ecosystem of tools that make organize your game easy .
You canadd any external gameor app to Steam easily . From your depository library , selectAdd a gamein the bottom left corner , then chooseAdd a non - Steam secret plan . You’ll see a list of applications installed on the voiceless drive Steam is installed on . you’re able to either opt your secret plan from here , or you’re able to selectBrowseto chance the executable .
look on the game , you want to happen theactualgameexecutable . You ’ll often regain a launcher , as well , and for some games , all you need to do is add the direct viable rather of the launcher .
If you ’ve used Steam for a minuscule while , you probably already bang how to do this , but there ’s a picayune cleanup we need to do .
First , the executable for a game you want to play might not be the same name as the game itself . For example , I ownStranger of Paradise : Final Fantasy Originon the Epic Games Store , but the biz ’s executable is “ SOPFFO.exe . ”
That does n’t look great in your program library . Right - press the biz , selectProperties , and you could rename the non - Steam app to anything you require .
That covers most games but not all of them . In special , you may not be capable to add all of your game from the Xbox app or Microsoft Store . Some of these games are UWP apps — they are n’t stock executables .
For those , you ’ll need to download theUWPHook tool . This will bestow your UWP apps to Steam .
Do that for all of the game you have elsewhere — assuming they ’re already install , more on that soon — and you ’ll be left with a bunch of grey-headed tiles with a politic title across them . The next step is to get them looking like part of your library .
First , direct over toSteamGridDBand download the SGDBoop tool . This is a database of both prescribed and non - prescribed graphics for plot , and SGDBoop is an app that can mechanically apply assets to your games .
I ’ve write about how Ioverhauled my Steam library with SGDBoop , but it works with non - Steam games , too . Steam will automatically take out in the icon of the executable when you add the game to your library . There are four other elements you need to add manually : two grid image , a hero look-alike , and a logotype .
The two grid images are for the plot as it shows up in your library and when it ’s your most of late played title , the hero icon is a background when you select the secret plan , and the logo supercede Steam ’s default textual matter over the hero image .
Steam likes to immerse your non - Steam games , so there ’s one final step . Using the left-hand menu , start the filter and select theInstalled locallybox . Then , chooseSave as a Dynamic Collection . Using one of your shelves in Steam , select that dynamic accumulation , sort it however you bid , and you ’ll see your non - Steam games alongside your Steam game .
That ’s non - Steam games sorted , but what about games you buy on Steam ? There are a gross ton of title on Steam that amount alongside a freestanding launcher , and in a lot of grammatical case , you may bypass that launcher totally . For example , Cyberpunk 2077uses the Red Launcher , whileBaldur ’s Gate 3uses its own catapult from Larian Studios .
UsingCyberpunk 2077as an case , all you need to do is point Steam toward the right executable . In a hatful of cases , Steam is launching a separate executable that take up a catapult , and then that launcher add up the secret plan ’s executable . Find theCyberpunk 2077installation , followBin > x64 > Cyberpunk2077.exe . Right - press the workable and chooseCopy as way .
Back in Steam , decent - snap the game and chooseProperties . Under theGeneraltab , discover theLaunch optionsand paste the course you copied . It should paste with quotation mark , but if it does n’t , add them in . At the end of the course , after the quotation Deutschmark , add up a space and then%command%.You’re fundamentally telling Steam that you require to launch this practicable when you tick on the game .
This put to work for any game that has a separate feasible single file for the rocket launcher and the game itself . A hatful of game have specific command that skip the launcher — inCyberpunk 2077,you could apply – launcher - skipin the launch options , for example — but this should work even for game that do n’t have that command . You ’ll have to do a bit of fag to recover the right Indian file , so make certain to keep thePCGamingWikihandy for any particular launching commands or file paths if you ’re skin with a finicky game . alas , this process wo n’t work for thing like Ubisoft Connect and the EA App . They ’ll launch irrespective .
There are two major downsides to this glide path . First , it ’s a very manual process . You have to add games individually , typeset their artistic creation , and dredge up control to skip launchers . In addition , Steam does n’t ply a style to see your uninstalled games . you could see games that are uninstalled on Steam , but not non - Steam games .
The alternative: Playnite or GOG Galaxy
If you ’re less concerned about customizability and just desire all of your games in one smudge , you should use either Playnite or GOG Galaxy . Out of the two , I preferPlaynitebecause it ’s assailable - source and features a variety of minimal brain damage - ons . That admit stopple - Indiana for the major storefront on PC . Here ’s a full list :
These add - ons not only spell your installed and uninstalled games , they also keep you signed in . The app will still open up , but you ’ll be able to launch , uninstall , and install games in your library directly from Playnite . Out of the box , Playnite supports just about any game you’re able to throw at it , and it include IGDB ( Internet Game Database ) integration , mechanically filling in your prowess and metadata details .
you’re able to go further , though . As mentioned , Playnite is loose - generator and there are a mint of different add - ons and themes for the app . There ’s an add - on that hides duplicate if you have a game across multiple shopfront , for example , and another that can check for gratuitous games on the Epic Games Store . My favorite by far is How prospicient to stick integration , which usher you how long a game is , and SuccessStory , which integrates accomplishment into the app .
There ’s so much Playnite is capable of , it ’s a little consuming . From every option to organize your library to custom scripts you’re able to break away before , during , and after a game , you’re able to really dig deep and build your library the way you require . I prefer the Steam method acting , but if you do n’t beware bring forth your hands filthy , Playnite is doubtless more powerful .
GOG Galaxyis a bit different . It ’s a launcher for game purchased through GOG , but it also supports community integrations for the Epic Games Store , EA App , Steam , Xbox , and Ubisoft Connect . you may install and uninstall your games , track playtime and accomplishment , and customise all of your metadata .
It ’s definitely weaker than Playnite , however . you’re able to add game manually , but there are n’t community of interests integration , and you do n’t have most the same customization options . GOG Galaxy still back up launch commands , allowing you to skip launchers , but it lacks the flexibility in organizing and filter your depository library that Playnite and Steam both support .
compare to using Steam , both of these apps definitely do n’t face as nice . Playnite give you a flock of customization options , and GOG Galaxy is easy to limit up , but Steam has all of the tools you need to tot non - Steam apps and ringway as many rocket launcher as possible .
Never perfect
There ’s no way to completely pop rocket launcher on PC , but with a turn of work , you may get your library in one smear and disenable a good chunk of the launchers you have to get through . You still need to set up half a XII storefront , but at the very least you wo n’t have to snap through endless pop music - ups while trying to dally your game .
Outside of cause your game a little more organized , going through this processcanboost your functioning . We ’ve see in the past catapult like the 2 K Launcher that can actually touch public presentation in game .
