GOGformerly known as Good Old Games, is a game distribution platform since 2012. Compared to sites like Fanatic and Green Man GameGOG sells PC games through an online store.
However, unlike many of its competitors, GOG sells games that are completely DRM-free and has its own independent distribution platform, similar to how Steam operates.
GOG Galaxy, GOG’s distribution platform, recently entered its second software iteration, bringing a very interesting change — it now allows the integration of games from competing platforms.
GOG Galaxy 2.0 has been a bold move in creating the most complete digital game library for gamers, so let’s find out what GOG Galaxy is and how it works in this article. this.
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What is GOG Galaxy?
For users familiar with Steam, understanding the concept of GOG Galaxy will be very simple. In 2014, CD Projekt Red announced that GOG would release a standalone client on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Like Steam, the client will have three main purposes: sell games, allow users to organize and download their purchased games, and allow GOG users to interact.
One of GOG’s core selling points is that they are a DRM-free store. The Galaxy customer is therefore completely optional. All games sold by GOG can be downloaded as individual software without the need to install a client, which is not something competitors like Steam can say.
In 2017, GOG announced Galaxy customer support for saving to the cloud. Saving to the cloud is another feature first made available by Steam, and it will be the Galaxy’s first major non-QoL feature. At the time of the cloud save feature launch, 29 games were supported, allowing users to access saved files on any other device.
GOG Galaxy 2.0
June 2019 marks the start of closed beta for GOG Galaxy 2.0, a completely revamped version of the GOG client.
The main goal of this new client is to serve gamers as a single library of games, allowing them to catalog and launch games from Steam, Origin, Uplay, Epic Games Store, and support console integration with PlayStation 4 and Xbox Live Network.
How to connect GOG Galaxy 2.0 with other platforms
Once downloaded, install and launch GOG Galaxy 2.0, the app starts up in tutorial mode that helps explain the features of GOG’s new client. At the top of the main window, the user will see a More games and friends This will allow them to do just that.
Clicking this button will allow users to connect other platforms to GOG or add games manually. For users who have accounts on other platforms, such as Steam, we strongly recommend connecting those accounts to GOG — it’s safe, fast, and free.
To do so, click Connecting platforms This option will display a settings window.
On this window, all the aforementioned platforms will be listed. To connect one, just click Link next to the corresponding option.
Each connection will require the user to log in with their respective credentials. This is completely secure and no information is transferred directly to GOG’s servers.
Once done, the connected platform will appear on the customer’s leftmost menu, below Game title, labeled whatever platform the user is associated with — Xbox in this example.
Linking a PlayStation or Xbox account to GOG obviously won’t allow those games to be played via PC, but it does allow players to view their achievements and other stats in the Galaxy client.
Linking any PC platform, such as Steam or the Epic Games Store, will allow users to launch games from within the Galaxy.
Not only that, but connecting Steam, Origin, Uplay, or the Epic Games Store will allow users to download and install directly to those platforms from within the Galaxy’s interface. This means that users can effectively replace all other library platforms, as GOG has full support for managing them from within its own client.
After clicking on any game, Setting or Play (if installed) will appear at the top of the screen. The button to the right of it allows users to manage their settings, check for updates, get support, and more.
Galaxy also has powerful organization options, allowing users to tag games or even rate them from one to six stars. For users with a large collection, this can be an extremely useful way of organizing and categorizing games. There is also a search field that allows users to search through their entire collection.
Why you should use GOG Galaxy 2.0
With Galaxy 2.0, GOG introduced a very unique resource for gamers to consolidate and completely replace some of their PC game library platforms. While native clients like Steam have their perks, like the Inventory and Teams systems, for gamers who are only concerned with organizing and playing their games, GOG Galaxy 2.0 definitely is a great all-in-one solution.
If you have any questions or comments about GOG Galaxy 2.0 or how it can be used, leave us a comment below.
