Ethan Crossfield 
Valve’s October 13 Steam client update has arrived with a broad set of desktop, controller and Big Picture improvements. Its most visible talking point, however, is startup speed: a user-recorded cold-boot test showed Steam reaching the library slightly faster than Epic Games’ new preview launcher, undercutting Epic’s claim of a major loading-time advantage.
What happened: Steam’s startup gains changed the comparison
Epic Games recently introduced a new AI-coded, or “vibe-coded,” launcher preview for Windows, macOS and Linux and positioned it as substantially faster than Steam on launch. Valve’s latest client release includes an explicit startup-performance improvement, and a short test shared by X user Girlglock_ put the updated Steam client at 5.23 seconds to reach the library. In that recording, Steam was 0.24 seconds ahead of Epic’s preview launcher. The margin is narrow, but it matters because the comparison flips the headline claim around Epic’s release. The test was performed using an older solid-state drive, so the result should be treated as an individual benchmark rather than a universal verdict for every PC setup.
Why it matters: launcher speed is a small but visible battleground
A fraction of a second will not determine where every player buys games, but launch speed is an easy quality-of-life metric for users to notice and share. Steam remains the larger global PC gaming storefront, and Valve’s update gives it a timely answer in an area Epic had highlighted. More importantly, the patch is not focused solely on one benchmark. It delivers fixes for downloads, reconnecting after maintenance, library playtime, desktop shortcuts and several overlay issues. Windows users also receive fixes aimed at screenshot-related frame hitches in D3D11 and D3D12 games, while Vulkan support sees stability and multi-window overlay improvements.
What to watch next: Big Picture and controller features broaden the update
The October update also expands Steam’s living-room interface. Big Picture Mode now offers a Big Art Mode home-screen option, a Personal Calendar in its Recommended tab, and configurable screensavers. Users can choose game-art slideshows or a retro bouncing-logo screensaver, while custom screensavers can be loaded from Steam’s installation directory. Valve also added options to avoid screen dimming or screensaver behavior when video playback requests that monitors stay awake, plus a setting to disable screensavers while in-game. Other usability changes include hiding the cursor in the overlay until movement is detected and making the Guide button open the overlay on supported Windows controllers instead of returning users to the Big Picture main menu.
What players should take from the update
- Restart Steam to download the latest client update and receive the startup-performance changes.
- Treat the reported 5.23-second result as a single-system test, not a guaranteed speed result for every drive or PC.
- Big Picture users can enable Big Art Mode and configure new screensaver options in Steam settings.
- Players using controllers on Windows should see more consistent Guide button behavior while in-game.
- The patch includes a wide range of overlay, recording, download and Steam Input fixes beyond startup speed.
Reported cold-start comparison
| Launcher | Time to library | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Updated Steam Client | 5.23 seconds | 0.24 seconds faster in the reported test |
| Epic Games Launcher Preview | 5.47 seconds | 0.24 seconds slower in the reported test |
Expert View
Steam’s narrow win is less important than the message behind it: PC launcher performance claims are only as strong as the real-world tests that follow. Valve does not need a dramatic benchmark victory here; pairing a modest startup gain with practical desktop and controller improvements is the more convincing play for the people who use Steam every day.
