Rockstar Games has released its own PC game launcher, joining companies like Ubisoft and Epic Games in maintaining its own digital storefront to sell its games directly to players rather than go through other platforms like Steam. The new Windows desktop application, Rockstar Games Launcher, will offer “easy access and purchase of Rockstar Games PC titles” to players.
The program will also feature cloud saves, automatic updates for some titles, ways to directly follow the latest Rockstar Games news, and even support for most Rockstar Games PC titles players may have purchased from other digital stores or physically in the past. This enables players to keep their collection of Rockstar Games titles all in one place. Upon installing the launcher and adding their past Rockstar games to the program, players will be able to access them from the launcher afterward. Players’ Rockstar Social Club accounts will also be linked to the launcher for the cloud saves.
The new digital storefront is free to download and, for an unspecified limited time, will include a free digital copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on PC for players to permanently add to their game library. Seven Rockstar games are available for purchase on the launcher now, including Grand Theft Auto IV and V, Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire: Complete Edition, Max Payne 3: Complete Edition, and Bully: Scholarship Edition. It’s unclear what other games will be available on the launcher yet.
For players who still want to keep their Rockstar titles connected to Steam, they can launch them from Steam via Rockstar Games Launcher thanks to “Play on Steam” button—essentially, launching a launcher from another launcher. After installing Rockstar Games Launcher, however, players must keep it installed to play their Rockstar games from then on.
The Rockstar Games Launcher is available now for PC on the Rockstar website.