Valve has rolled out a new Steam Client update that makes the launcher start up faster, and the timing could hardly be better. It landed just as Epic Games began showing off its rebuilt, openly “vibe-coded” Epic Games Launcher, which Epic claims starts 1.8 times faster than Steam.
One early user test shared on social media now puts Steam back in front. After the update, Steam reportedly launched in 5.23 seconds, edging out the 5.47-second cold start that Epic advertised for its new launcher.
Steam vs. Epic: the startup numbers
Epic released a preview of its new launcher on October 14, 2026, and leaned hard into speed. According to Epic, the new launcher cold starts in 5.47 seconds compared to 10.07 seconds for Steam, which is where the 1.8x figure comes from. Epic also said its Store opens three times faster than Steam’s and its library loads up to 30 times faster. The tests were run for Epic by Keywords Studios, averaging five runs across 13 machines.
Epic was also unusually upfront about how the launcher was made, saying it had “vibe coded” the faster client with heavy AI assistance. The preview is available on Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon) and, for the first time, natively on Linux, although some social and account features are still missing.
Valve’s answer arrived a day earlier in the form of the Steam Client Update for October 13, which lists “faster client startup” among its general changes. Gaming news account Pirat_Nation then shared the 5.23-second result, and the post quickly passed 700,000 views.
It is worth keeping the comparison in perspective. Valve did not publish any official startup figures, and the 5.23-second time comes from a single user’s machine, while Epic’s numbers are averages from controlled testing on a range of PCs. Startup times also vary a lot depending on hardware, storage and library size, so your results will differ. Still, the gap Epic was advertising appears to be much smaller than the 10-second Steam figure suggested.
What else is in the Steam update
Faster startup is only one part of a very large patch. Here are the biggest changes:
- Big Picture screensavers: A new screensaver option under Settings > Customization, including a slideshow of art from recently played games and screenshots, plus a retro bouncing Steam logo in the style of old DVD players. Custom screensavers are supported, and there is a setting to disable the screensaver during games.
- Big Art Mode: A new home screen layout in Big Picture, along with a Personal Calendar on the Recommended tab.
- Steam Input and controllers: A redesigned configurator, a new multi-binding page for button combinations and lower CPU usage. New Steam Controller firmware adds a second Bluetooth LE pairing slot and adjustable rumble intensity.
- Remote Play: An experimental Pyrowave video codec for high-bandwidth, low-latency streaming, much faster Vulkan capture and better color accuracy and clarity.
- Linux: The compatibility tool dropdown is always visible, Windows programs added as non-Steam games now run through Proton by default, and download speeds are better on high-latency connections.
- Fixes: Dozens of smaller quality-of-life fixes, including fewer screenshot hitches in Direct3D 11 and 12 games and a fix for hangs on older CPUs during certain downloads.
The launcher race is heating up
It has already been a busy week on Steam, with Sega pulling Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition from sale after player backlash. But the Steam vs. Epic launcher battle is the more interesting long-term story. Epic is clearly targeting Steam’s biggest weak spots with its rebuild, from load times to Linux support, while Valve keeps steadily polishing its client for desktop, Steam Deck and Big Picture users.
The update installs automatically the next time you restart Steam. If you want to test the startup time yourself, close Steam fully, relaunch it and grab a stopwatch.
