Epic Games Launches AI 'Vibe Coded' Launcher, Claims 46% Faster Startup Than Steam
Epic Games has released a preview of a redesigned launcher built with AI, claiming faster startup times than rival Steam while admitting the software is still in testing.
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Epic Games has released a preview version of a redesigned Epic Games Launcher that the company says was built using AI rather than handwritten code, a process it described as being "vibe coded."
According to coverage from TechPowerUp and Tom's Hardware, Epic claims the new launcher starts up to 46% faster than Steam, citing figures of 5.47 seconds versus 10.07 seconds. The company also says it restores from the system tray 14% faster than Steam, at 0.36 seconds compared with 0.42 seconds. TechPowerUp reported that the benchmarks came from Keywords Studio, an independent studio contracted by Epic, and represent an average of five tests across 13 machines, with the three lowest-end machines excluded from the results.
In a blog post quoted by Tom's Hardware, Epic wrote: "Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that's way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look." The company has described itself as an AI-first company with no handwritten code, according to TechPowerUp.
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