CD Projekt's 'all-in-one' game launcher, GOG Galaxy 2.0, has entered Open Beta

[Polycount]

What just happened? Although Cyberpunk 2077 is currently generating quite a bit of buzz for CD Projekt, it's not the only major software project the team is working on. The studio's digital distribution branch, GOG, has been developing its impressive Galaxy 2.0 client as well. This client, often referred to as the "all-in-one" PC gaming launcher, has finally left Closed Beta and opened its doors to the public.

As of yesterday, GOG Galaxy 2.0 is officially available to all in the form of an Open Beta. For those who don't know what GOG Galaxy 2.0 is, the software aims to solve -- at least partially -- a very real problem many hardcore PC gamers face these days: game launcher overload.

Are you a Fortnite fan? You'll need the Epic Games Store installed and running on your PC to play it. What about the recently-released port of Red Dead Redemption 2? Well, you'll have to snag Rockstar's recently-released Game Launcher for that. What about the Sims 4? Or Mass Effect Andromeda? Sorry, you'll need Origin for those -- and so on.

While GOG Galaxy 2.0 doesn't remove these launcher requirements, it does let you access and manage all of your games from one convenient location. By integrating your various launcher accounts with Galaxy 2.0, you can sort, install, and play their respective titles without the need to remember which platform has which games.

Furthermore, it can now even (optionally) close a title's required client when you finish playing.

That's not all GOG Galaxy 2.0 strives to do, though. Someday, the platform wants to unite not just your games, but your friends as well, and with the software's Open Beta launch, it's taken its first steps toward making the latter a reality.

As of writing, GOG Galaxy 2.0 now has a collapsible all-in-one friends list on the right-hand side. This list shows you which friends are online (offline friends are not displayed yet) across several platforms, as well as their current game status (if any). Chat functionality has not been integrated yet, but that may arrive down the line (assuming it's technically possible).

For a more complete breakdown of GOG Galaxy 2.0's features, feel free to check out our full write-up here. Just bear in mind that, at the time of that piece's publication, the software was missing a few new features. If you're already sold on CD Projekt's ambitions with Galaxy 2.0, you can download it for free now.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/83119-cd-projekt-all-one-game-launcher-gog-galaxy.html

 

[psycros]

This doesn't solve anything..it just adds yet another launcher that mimics user commands to interact with all the *other* launchers. A true solution would be something that can emulate or spoof installations of multiple gaming company front-ends like Trillian does for messaging. If by some miracle Galaxy actually catches on all the launchers will start getting regular updates to break integration. The situation in digital downloads and online services right now looks an awful lot like the "portaling" of the late 90's and early 2000's, where every piece of software had a background app trying to route all your web traffic through it.

 

[ForgottenLegion]

This doesn't solve anything..it just adds yet another launcher that mimics user commands to interact with all the *other* launchers. A true solution would be something that can emulate or spoof installations of multiple gaming company front-ends like Trillian does for messaging. If by some miracle Galaxy actually catches on all the launchers will start getting regular updates to break integration. The situation in digital downloads and online services right now looks an awful lot like the "portaling" of the late 90's and early 2000's, where every piece of software had a background app trying to route all your web traffic through it.

Well I for one love it.
All my games in one convenient location.
No more digging through a handful of launchers looking for a game to play. Everything appears in one big collection
The other launchers just live in the system tray just like always.
If you don't see the positive to this then I don't know what more to say mate.

 

[Nobina]

I appreciate the effort but I launcher clutter is nothing more than a minor annoyance.

 

[Morris Minor]

So... to have all friends listed won't all launchers have to be running in the background? wonder how much of a resource hog that will be.

 

[yRaz]

Add Linux support like steam is doing and then I'll be interested. It's not like this crap isn't entirely crowd sourced already. Pay 2-3 programmers for a month to integrate what already exists.

 

[fadingfool]

Well I for one love it.
All my games in one convenient location.
No more digging through a handful of launchers looking for a game to play. Everything appears in one big collection
The other launchers just live in the system tray just like always.
If you don't see the positive to this then I don't know what more to say mate.

Agreed - the only downside is I now know just how many games I have across all the launchers.......