Do you really want auto-updates for your games, or actually just want updates-on-demand? Or just a notification with a button to update the game?
Personally I dislike Steams auto updates, because I want decide when a game should be updated. I might have mods installed, only mobile internet or a myriad other reasons not to be forced to download and apply an update right at that moment and instead just play the old version.
For saves, I normally just use syncthing. I have regularly issues with GOG and Steam cloud saves, and syncthing works well enough,
I want auto updates for my games so close to “always” that you can only tell it’s not 100% if you squint a bit. I use Syncthing in other contexts, like syncing emulator saves to and from desktop and Steam Deck, and it’s not quite as easy as Steam cloud saves.
Setup is annoying, and feedback on whether or not it’s working is a bit rough. I’ve lost data by misconfiguring it before. You have to run a background daemon on a device where battery life matters, so I tend to shut it off when I’m done. Syncing saves with SyncThing requires knowing where those save files are, whereas being built into the launcher client means they already know where those saves are, and that step is already done.
Neat. I was aware of Heroic before, but I haven’t heard of this. This does change the equation for me, because now there’s a data point that GOG can use to see where my money’s going and how they can get more of it. What can you tell me about their refund policy? Are the results on ProtonDB just as reliable for GOG versions as they are for Steam versions of games? Does Heroic pre-compile Vulkan shaders the way that Proton on Steam enforces it? Whatever answers you don’t have, I can do some of my own homework, but I’m intrigued now.
Just in case you don’t know: You can buy GOG games and download the installers in a browser.
Yes, that’s the selling point, but I also value automatic updates and cloud saves most of the time.
Do you really want auto-updates for your games, or actually just want updates-on-demand? Or just a notification with a button to update the game?
Personally I dislike Steams auto updates, because I want decide when a game should be updated. I might have mods installed, only mobile internet or a myriad other reasons not to be forced to download and apply an update right at that moment and instead just play the old version.
For saves, I normally just use syncthing. I have regularly issues with GOG and Steam cloud saves, and syncthing works well enough,
I want auto updates for my games so close to “always” that you can only tell it’s not 100% if you squint a bit. I use Syncthing in other contexts, like syncing emulator saves to and from desktop and Steam Deck, and it’s not quite as easy as Steam cloud saves.
Why so? I use SyncThing and I have no issues with it what so ever.
Setup is annoying, and feedback on whether or not it’s working is a bit rough. I’ve lost data by misconfiguring it before. You have to run a background daemon on a device where battery life matters, so I tend to shut it off when I’m done. Syncing saves with SyncThing requires knowing where those save files are, whereas being built into the launcher client means they already know where those saves are, and that step is already done.
You can use the Heroic Games Launcher, which runs GOG games through Proton, offers automatic updates and integrates with GOG cloud saves.
Buying games on GOG through their launcher also gives them a cut of the money!
Do you have a source on Heroic getting a cut? I can’t find it in their FAQ.
It’s in their latest release notes: https://github.com/Heroic-Games-Launcher/HeroicGamesLauncher/releases/tag/v2.13.0
It’s also featured on their donate page: https://heroicgameslauncher.com/donate
Neat. I was aware of Heroic before, but I haven’t heard of this. This does change the equation for me, because now there’s a data point that GOG can use to see where my money’s going and how they can get more of it. What can you tell me about their refund policy? Are the results on ProtonDB just as reliable for GOG versions as they are for Steam versions of games? Does Heroic pre-compile Vulkan shaders the way that Proton on Steam enforces it? Whatever answers you don’t have, I can do some of my own homework, but I’m intrigued now.
You can refund any purchase within 30 days. There are no restrictions on playtime, since GOG can’t feasibly control that.
You can get your refund either as store credit or to the payment method you used, however store credit is usually processed much faster.
I can only vaguely answer this by saying the games that I tried (mainly indie games like Dead Cells and One Step from Eden) worked flawlessly.
Heroic Games Launcher has a Mastodon presence, so you can ask them there! https://mastodon.social/@heroiclauncher
Thanks a bunch. If I get the answers I’m looking for, maybe GOG will be my go-to.