not reallyPreemptive
But that would include Steam and worse, GoG.
GoG doesn't really require a launcher. You can download installers directly.
I meant GoG Galaxy. Still useful for auto updates.
Well, yes, I use it as well. But in general, GoG is the only one which doesn't actually need any launcher to function.
I do on some shitty Atom based mini PCs that don't support 64bit.
Especially Valve with Steam.
How well does Battlefield run on that beast?
There are low power devices (basically mini PCs and PC sticks) that can't install 64bit windows because the processor doesn't support it. It's not really a choice or a gaming PC replacement but it's definitely a shame that you can't play your games on those form factors anymore even if it's not some graphically demanding one. You could have still played games like C&C, Spore or whatever. I guess those people can just run a cracked version anyway so no big deal but no real reason why they should be jumping through hoops to begin with to access their library.
What's wrong with gog? Galaxy is awesome and the games don't need launchers
Yes. No exceptions. Steam has just the "luxury" of being the least shitty out of all of them. But I still vividly remember how fucking annoyed I was that I had to make an account and deal with Steam to play Half-Life 2.
When a thing like that ever happened??
Some games actually do need it for their multiplayer component, found that out when I tried playing Quake 2.
I misread your comment. I thought you were calling for the end of gog. My bad 100%
Some might have been using 32bit WINE to run their Windows games on Linux, though I'm sure WINE also supports 64bit Windows programs. I've also experienced many OEM machines shipping with 32bit Windows as far back as 2008, despite it being a Core 2 Quad which were all 64bit capable. Reason was mostly likely software and driver compatibility. Unfortunately Windows does not allow for a direct upgrade from 32bit to 64bit, so upgrading to Windows 10 would have installed the 32bit version.
Year 2038 problem, if anyone is curious on this. A lot of 32bit software could malfunction which will most likely be banking and transport systems. Some date issues have already manifested earlier like the PowerKey 2024 clock rollover bug which affected a lot of older legacy cable boxes that had to be replaced. Software updates aren't always feasible in this scenario as the code is either too old to update without breaking something critical, or the original developers have long retired or moved onto other projects.
At least Steam has the decency to open on my library unlike every other launcher that is pushing ads and notifications.
Companies like EA have been around a long time. They have extensive back catalogs. But making sure a 15 year old game is updated for the new launcher is... not exactly a priority.
