Gameroom Is Facebook's Steam-Like Gaming Client for Windows

One-time casual games behemoth and all-round social network monopoly Facebook has announced Gameroom. It is a Windows PC desktop client that lets you play games, much like Steam, GOG Galaxy, Origin, Windows Store, and Uplay, among others.

Gameroom let users play Web games, mobile ports, and native Gameroom games in a dedicated PC app without the distractions that come with being on Facebook proper such as its News Feed.

(Also see: Steam vs Origin vs Uplay vs GOG vs Windows Store - A Definitive Guide )

Right now though, there appear very few benefits to using Gameroom over other existing options for users barring cross-platform support - allowing you to play a game such as Game of Dice on your mobile and then carrying it over to your desktop via Gameroom. It’s not a particularly new concept either.

Nonetheless, Facebook’s re-entry into the gaming space comes at an interesting time. The PC has grown from strength to strength on the back of massive hits such as Minecraft, Dota 2, League of Legends, The Witcher 3, GTA V, and Fallout 4 to name a few. Facebook could find its niche in the casual space or at least it attempts to do so with a line up of games including Bubble Witch Saga 2, Cooking Mama, and Criminal Case to name a few. No surprise considering the maximum file size for a game is no more than 200MB with special exceptions going all the way upto 500MB.

(Also see: Top 5 Alternatives to Valve's Steam)

Around half a decade ago it built an empire on casual games such as FarmVille from the likes of Zynga. This is the company’s first big attempt to woo an already lapsed audience back. How committed Facebook is to gaming this time around will be a point of interest.