EA games on Steam still require Origin to play

EA games might be coming to Steam, but you'll still have to not only download the Origin client, but have it running at all times in order to play games.

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EA is making a big push onto Steam and plans to simultaneously launch all of its PC games on both Steam and Origin. Apparently Valve wants Apex Legends, and EA wants more sales. But before we get too excited, there's one important caveat to remember: You can't completely dodge Origin. EA will use the Origin client as a DRM check for all of its games on Steam.

This message is nestled in the new EA game listings: "Incorporates 3rd-party DRM: EA on-line activation and Origin client software installation and background use required."

Also some of the info on the game pages is inaccurate.

Dragon Age II, for example, does not have full controller support baked in. Just like Oblivion on PC, the game is built for mouse and keyboard and doesn't feature native controller optimizations. So you can't just plug in a DualShock 4 or an Xbox controller and start playing--you'll have to go through some rebindings and use third-party programs or mods to make it happen. And even then it's generally an uncomfortable experience.

Last updated: Jun 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm CDT