New Epic Games Launcher Now Available in Public Preview Build

Epic Games has unveiled a revamped version of its launcher, promising significant performance improvements over its predecessor. The new Epic Games Launcher is now available in a public preview build, boasting a fresh look and enhanced responsiveness.

According to Epic's own account, the team chose not to rewrite the code from scratch but instead employed vibe coding, an approach that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and review new features. This unconventional method allowed the team to focus on replicating existing functionality without having to start anew.

Epic Games Store General Manager Martin Keely revealed that using AI as a tool was instrumental in streamlining the development process, enabling a small team to rewrite the codebase more efficiently. Keely emphasized that the goal was not to replicate the old code but rather to create something new and improved.

The revamped launcher is designed to be faster and more responsive than its predecessor, with support for Windows, Mac, and soon Linux platforms. Keely confirmed that the company aims to release a Linux version of the Launcher in addition to the existing ones.

As part of this overhaul, Epic has also introduced a new look for the Launcher, although details about the exact design changes are scarce at this point. The company's decision to adopt AI-driven coding may signal a shift towards more agile and efficient development processes, potentially giving it an edge over competitors like Steam.

The new Epic Games Launcher has been touted as a faster alternative to Steam, with the company claiming a significant improvement in startup speed.

To put this claim to the test, Ars Technica conducted its own experiments and found that the new Launcher does indeed launch slightly faster than Steam, assuming there are no issues with login or updates. However, the difference is not so dramatic as to be immediately noticeable.

Epic's decision to revamp its Launcher was announced back in June at Unreal Fest, where the company revealed plans for a ground-up rearchitecture of the store and a new private beta version of the Launcher. At the time, Epic promised that the new Launcher would boast "5x faster cold start times, addressing long-standing issues with the current version.

The term vibe coding, however, carries connotations of hastily thrown-together code that may hide underlying problems. This has raised concerns about the quality and stability of the new Launcher, particularly given Epic's admission that the Preview will have some bugs.

To mitigate these risks, Epic is encouraging early testers to provide feedback through a dedicated form, with a warning that certain features are still missing from the legacy version. An FAQ on the company's website clarifies that social features and account management options are among those yet to be implemented.

Epic's emphasis on speed may signal a shift towards more agile development processes, potentially giving it an edge over competitors like Steam in terms of rapid iteration and deployment. However, this remains to be seen as the new Launcher continues to take shape.

The new Preview launcher has been rolled out by Epic Games, featuring a Recent Games list and a centralized downloads hub for monitoring network activity. These long-requested features are now available in the updated Launcher.

In related news, Epic's shift towards an AI first" development model is gaining momentum. As part of this pivot, developers at Epic are being reassigned to focus on maximizing AI acceleration in their work. This change is aimed at enabling teams to build more and better content, rather than simply reducing staff numbers.

The new Launcher continues to take shape as Epic works towards feature parity with its previous version. The company's efforts to revamp its development model will likely have far-reaching implications for the industry as a whole.