Is Apex Legends Better On Steam Or Origin? – Which One Should You Choose?

Apex Legends was released in February 2019 and was only available of Origin. Origin is a game launcher that Electronic Arts developed. Initially, the game was only available on it because the developers of Apex Legends Respawn Entertainment were a part of EA. 

So, if you wanted to play Apex Legends or any other new EA game, you had to download Origin. Once you have downloaded and installed Origin, you can download and play Apex Legends on it. That all changed when the game was released on Steam.

Apex Legends was released on Steam on November 4th, 2020, as a part of Season 7. The release on Steam meant that you could quickly transfer your account and game files there and play on it seamlessly without needing Origin. 

This sparked a debate among players with the question being that is Apex Legends better on Steam or Origin? The answer to that question may vary based on how long you have been playing the game and your preference. 

Older players might gravitate towards Origin because that is where they started playing the game. Conversely, newer players might like Steam better because it is a far superior game launcher. 

Apex Legends is considerably better on Steam compared to Origin. Most players on platforms like YouTube and Reddit have reported getting better FPS on Steam. So, if you go off by the game performance and how it is running, Steam is the clear-cut choice for most players. 

Additionally, Steam is an outright better game store and distribution service than Origin. It offers you a lot more games for you to choose from. It also provides better communication services and community options than Origin. All of this and more makes Steam the better choice for playing Apex Legends. 

Let’s look at both services individually and then explore the different options in which they defer from each other. 

Also Read: Is Fuse Good In Apex Legends?

What Is Steam?

Steam is a video game distribution service and storefront created and launched by Valve. It was initially launched in 2003 and was used as a software client for Vavle-associated games only. 

However, in the last 20 years, it has grown and evolved into becoming the biggest digital market for games in the entire world. It has over fifty thousand available game titles and more than 26 million concurrent online accounts. 

What Is Origin?

Origin is a digital distribution platform that Electronic Arts developed. it was created for players to purchase and play EA-associated game titles. In October 2022, it was merged with EA Play for players in Microsoft Windows however; it is still available in the same state on Mac and mobile. 

Over its lifetime, Origin has amassed more than 50 million registered accounts. It introduced a lot of unique features that were created to facilitate gamers. All of this and more made Origin a valiant competitor for Steam, if only for a brief window. 

Steam vs Origin Comparisons

If you look at the peak players for Apex Legends on Origin in the last month, that number totals 295,885 players. However, if we view the peak player count for Apex Legends on Steam, that number reaches 642,473. 

So, according to these stats, Steam has more than double the players playing a game that was initially launched on Origin.

So, why are more players gravitating towards Steam as compared to Origin? Let us take a look at different factors that will help us determine why Steam is Eclipsing Origin in terms of Apex Legends player count. 

Also Read: Is Revenant Good In Apex Legends?

1. Improved Graphical Quality And Fps

As soon as Apex Legends became available on Steam as part of Season 7 in 2020, many players reported that they were getting better FPS on the platform. And this FPS was not something small, most players on Reddit reported that they were getting a 30-50 FPS boost while playing the game on Steam.

This initial discovery sent a community into a frenzy and encouraged more and more players to migrate to Steam to play Apex Legends. Even the recent tests conducted on both platforms showed us that the Steam version of Apex displayed better FPS. 

Additionally, the game had a smoother and more crisp quality, and the FPS drop was not as massive and abrupt as the Origin version of Apex Legends. 

This is the primary reason why most players initially jumped to the Steam version of the game and never looked back. 

2. A Larger Selection Of Games

Steam completely blows Origin out of the water when we discuss the selection of games available on the platform. Steam has more than 50,000 thousand games available on its platform. 

It is a platform loved and preferred by players, AAA, and indie game creators. Every game is readily available on the Steam market, typically within a few minutes of release. 

On the other hand, Origin has a minuscule game catalog because of its association with EA. The platform only releases games developed by EA or companies associated with EA. 

There are very few third-party games that are available on the platform. All the games released on Origin also make their way to Steam. So, Origin also has very little to offer in terms of exclusive content. 

3. Better Support For The Platform 

Valve is constantly working to improve the Steam Platform. The platform hardly ever goes down for maintenance, and an issue with a particular game is fixed almost instantly. The Steam platform is highly regarded for its availability and its non-stop service to its players. 

This is one factor that makes it the best platform in the market when it comes to buying games. 

The same cannot be said about Origin. Over the years, Origin has seen its fair share of issues; The platform has gone down numerous times, leaving players annoyed and angry. Additionally, with the release of EA Play, EA has stopped updating and supporting the platform. 

So, Steam is miles ahead in terms of support for the platform. 

4. Improved Game Performance

As stated before, Steam’s game performance is much better than Origin’s. Even with Apex Legends, the game platform offers better FPS and improved quality. Steam was released twenty years before Origin. 

So, they have had the time to improve and almost perfect their gaming platform. 

People have always complained about games abruptly dropping FPS and slowing down when running on Origin. This is also the case with Apex Legends. This is not the game when it comes to Steam. 

Games on Steam perform optimally in a large majority of cases. And with the improvements being made to the platform, this will also be the case for newer and more advanced titles. 

5. Better Online Community

It is clear at this point that Steam has a massive online community, and Origin comes nowhere near it. This size differential can come in handy in different scenarios. However, it does not matter if you want to play a match with your friend and are on different platforms. 

All Origin multiplayer games are crossplay with Steam, meaning you can play with your friends regardless of your format. 

The larger community of Steam comes in handy when facing issues regarding a game. For instance, if you have problems with Apex Legends, you can always find a solution on Steam. It can be a network issue, a performance problem, or the game not running properly. You will have an easier time resolving these issues while on Steam. 

If you face a problem with your game and are on Origin, you will have to contact EA support and ask them for a solution. This route can sometimes take days and the issue ends up not getting resolved at all. That is not an issue if you are on Steam. 

Large dedicated communities and dashboards on Steam discuss issues regarding any game. If you have a problem with Apex Legends, chances are someone else also suffered from that issue and posted about it there. 

It is a lot easier to get answers in a short period. This also rings true when you are looking for guides related to a game. 

Steam players also post regularly updated guides regarding different Legends and in-game mechanics. So, you will most likely find an answer to any question you have regarding the game. 

6. Better UI Across All Platforms 

Both Steam and Origin have amazing UIs (User Interfaces) when it comes to the PC. Both are easy to understand and offer all important details in an easy-to-locate format. So, Steam and Origin are neck and neck when it comes to the PC.

However, Steam handily beats Origin when discussing other formats like Mac and mobile phones. So, given that Apex Legends is available across all platforms, this is another point to Steam. Steam’s UI on all platforms is straightforward to follow and understand. Conversely, Origin’s UI lacks attention to detail, and it takes a lot of time to find the most basic things on it. 

These factors make Steam’s UI superior to Origin’s across all platforms.

Can You Move Your Apex Legends Game From Origin To Steam?

Yes, you can move your entire Apex Legends game from Origin to Steam without downloading it again. The game itself is almost 64 GB in size today. That can take a lot of time to download again on a different service, especially if you have a slow internet connection. 

So, moving the entire game from one game launcher to another will be advantageous. You can move Apex Legends from Origin to Steam by following the steps below;

1. Make sure that your game is up-to-date on Origin.
2. Locate the Origin game installation folder on your device. Once you have located the folder, rename it from Apex to Apex Legends. 
3. Locate the Steam installation folder on your device. After you have located the specified folder, move the Apex Legends folder to the steamapps/common folder. 
4. Launch Steam and click on the download option there. Once you have selected the option, it will automatically locate your copied files in the destination folder. A further minor update might be required, which will take a few minutes to finish. 
5. Click on the launch game option to play the game on Steam. 

Also Read: What Engine Does Apex Legends Use?

Can You Link Your Origin Account To Steam?

You can link your Origin account to Steam to play Apex Legends. Linking your preexisting account ensures you don’t have to start the game from scratch. You can simply link your existing account and seamlessly transition from one service to another. 

To link your Origin account to Steam, you need to follow the steps below;

1. Download or transfer your game to Steam using the above process. 
2. When you launch Apex Legends for the first time on Steam, it will ask you to log in to your existing Origin account. 
3. After you log in with your account, just boot up the game. 
4. It will load your profile, and you can play the game without a hitch. 

Is Apex Legends Better On Steam Or Origin?

Apex Legends is better one Steam in every aspect. The game runs smoother and gives better FPS while you play it on Steam. Steam is also a better platform for playing every game, including Apex Legends. There are fewer issues and bugs to deal with. You can also find the solution to almost every in-game problem through Steam’s game community and dashboard. 

Lastly, Steam provides more features and is overall better for the UI and the service on the platform. All of this makes Steam better than Origin for playing Apex Legends.

Conclusion 

This concludes our guide on whether Apex Legends is better on Steam or Origin. In this guide, we have discussed both game launchers in detail and what they bring to the table. We also discussed the different factors that make Steam better than Origin. 

These factors discuss the things like game availability, performance, and support for the game if you run into an issue. Lastly, we discussed the procedure you must follow to move your game and account onto Steam. 

We hope this guide helps answer all your questions about which service is better in general and for playing Apex Legends. Let us know what you think about the guide in the comments below. Till next time, good luck and have fun!