Why can’t Minecraft be on Steam?
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time, and it’s available on a wide range of platforms, including PC, Mac, Linux, consoles, and mobile devices. But there’s one platform that Minecraft is not available on: Steam.
So why can’t you add Minecraft to Steam?
There are a few reasons:
Minecraft is already available on its own launcher. The Minecraft launcher is a simple and straightforward way to launch and play Minecraft, and it also provides access to features such as mod support and server selection. Microsoft, the owner of Minecraft, has no incentive to add Minecraft to Steam, as this would only serve to split the player base and make it more difficult for Microsoft to control the Minecraft experience.
Microsoft has its own gaming platform, the Microsoft Store. Microsoft has been investing heavily in the Microsoft Store in recent years, and it is now a viable alternative to Steam for Windows gamers. Microsoft is keen to promote the Microsoft Store, and adding Minecraft to Steam would be counterproductive.
Steam takes a 30% cut of all game sales. This is a significant cut, and Microsoft may not be willing to pay it. Microsoft already makes a lot of money from Minecraft sales on the Minecraft launcher and the Microsoft Store, and there is no need for Microsoft to give Valve a cut of the profits.
Minecraft is a very popular game, and adding it to Steam could put a strain on Steam’s servers. Steam is already the largest gaming platform in the world, and it supports millions of players. Adding Minecraft to Steam could potentially overload Steam’s servers and lead to performance problems.
Why do people want to add Minecraft to Steam?
Despite the reasons above, there are still many people who want to add Minecraft to Steam. Here are a few of the reasons why:
Steam is a convenient and popular platform. Steam is the go-to platform for many PC gamers, and it offers a number of features that make it convenient to use, such as a unified library, automatic updates, and cloud saves. Adding Minecraft to Steam would make it easier for players to manage all of their games in one place.
Steam has a large community. Steam has millions of active users, and this means that there is always a large community of players to play with. Adding Minecraft to Steam would open up the game to a new audience of players.
Steam offers a variety of features that could benefit Minecraft players. For example, Steam offers features such as achievements, trading cards, and leaderboards. These features could add an extra layer of engagement to Minecraft for some players.
Is there a way to add Minecraft to Steam?
There is no official way to add Minecraft to Steam. However, there are a few workarounds that players can use.
One workaround is to use a third-party launcher called Prism. Prism is a launcher that allows players to launch Minecraft directly from Steam. However, Prism is not officially supported by Microsoft, and it may not work with all versions of Minecraft.
Another workaround is to add a non-Steam game to your Steam library. To do this, open Steam and click on “Add a game”. Then, select “Add a Non-Steam Game” and browse to the Minecraft launcher executable file. Once you have added the Minecraft launcher to your Steam library, you can launch Minecraft directly from Steam.
However, it is important to note that adding Minecraft to your Steam library as a non-Steam game will not give you access to any of Steam’s features, such as achievements, trading cards, and leaderboards.
Conclusion
There are a few reasons why Minecraft is not available on Steam, and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon. However, there are a few workarounds that players can use to add Minecraft to Steam, if they wish.
