PC Platforms
PC is one of the friendliest markets for a small studio: you can self-publish, the audience buys games (not just free-to-play) and you have more control over price and community. The practical question isn't „PC or not”, it's which stores you launch on.
Steam versus the rest
In practice the decision comes down to „Steam and maybe the rest”. Steam has by far the biggest audience, the most tools and the best discovery (wishlists, recommendations, events). For most small studios the other stores are secondary: you add them after launching on Steam, if they're worth the effort.
| Store | Audience / discovery | Commission | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | The biggest, with wishlists and recommendations | 30% (effectively ~40% for a RO company, see the Steam page) + 100 USD/game | Open, you publish after Steam Direct |
| Epic Games Store | Much smaller than Steam, weak discovery | 12%, no registration fee for self-publishing | Open self-publishing, but low traffic |
| GOG | Niche, DRM-free, loyal audience | ~30% | Curated, selective (you apply and get approved) |
| itch.io | Indie, community, good for demos | Flexible (you choose, ~10% by default) | Fully open, you list yourself |
Epic Games Store has a much lower commission (12% vs Steam's 30%) and sometimes offers deals or exclusives. It sounds attractive, but discovery is much weaker: it's hard to reach players unless you bring the traffic yourself. For a small studio it's usually an extra store, not a replacement for Steam.
The practical recommendation
For most PC games, start with Steam. Add Epic, GOG or itch.io when you have the capacity and when the game's audience fits them. itch.io is great for launching a demo and testing traction before the big release (see itch.io).
Commission and fee figures change. Check each store's site for how much it costs and how much it keeps at the moment you launch.