Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- #25 Moonlight
- #24 IObit Uninstaller
- #23 Malwarebytes
- #22 Epic Games Store
- #21 Origin
- #20 Launchbox
- #19 F.lux
- #18 Pin Steam
- #17 GameSave Manager
- #16 WinDirStat
- #15 MSI Afterburner
- #14 SuperF4
- #13 Keytweak
- #12 Borderless Gaming
- #11 Sharex
- #10 OBS Studio
- #9 Nexus Mod Manager
- #8 GeForce Experience
- #7 Speccy
- #6 PC Decrapifier
- #5 UltraMon
- #4 Prime95
- #3 Discord
- #2 JoyToKey
- #1 Flawless Widescreen
You just spent quite a bit of money on a brand new gaming PC or successfully created a glorious custom build. While gamers may quickly flock to the must-have software like Steam, there’s a bunch of great software out there that you’ll want to download as soon as possible. Likewise, it may be too obvious to add Steam to this list, so we’re going to recommend some alternatives along with other free software worth checking out.
The programs listed below will not only help aid in your overall gameplay experience but can also make sure your PC is running smoothly and efficiently. Here are our picks for the top twenty free PC programs that every gamer should have on their machine.
If we missed your favorite, let us know!
#25 Moonlight
Streaming is one of the most important and lucrative parts of our video game space. There are many programs out there used by personalities like Ninja that help them look professional and make all their gaming sessions seem crisp. If you desire to use your phone for something like this, you must consider the Moonlight app. In it, you’ll be able to do streams on your phone, tablet or a television. Giving you more freedom with your other systems. One word of warning, you must have a compatible computer system to use the app properly. So make sure to check the requirements before trying to make it work.
#24 IObit Uninstaller
Unlike consoles, uninstalling programs can be annoying on the PC. Downloads might leave leftover files somewhere on your machine without you knowing. Rather than hunting down everything related to a certain program on your PC, you can use IObit uninstaller. This software is able to take out any unwanted software with one click, removing everything attached to it. It’s a simple program but extremely useful, especially after a few years of playing around on your gaming PC.
#23 Malwarebytes
Owning a gaming PC should come with some software that will ensure you’re running safely. Whether you accidentally download a program or software unknowingly or happen to pick something up from a website, it’s good to make sure your PC is free from any viruses. There are all kinds of different virus protectors out there so it may come down to preference. For our recommendation, having something like the free version of Malwarebytes could become quite useful. With this software, you can scan your PC and make sure there are no viruses, malware, ransomware, or any other threats.
#22 Epic Games Store
A few digital storefronts appear on this list. Steam is the most obvious, and most marketplaces struggle to compete with Valve’s storefront. That was until the Epic Games Store appeared on the scene.
There are a few reasons that this storefront could really stand against Steam. For starters, it’s gathering plenty of users simply by providing free video game titles every month. Gamers have gotten free access to titles such as Subnautica, Super Meat Boy, Axiom Verge, and Thimbleweed Park. Furthermore, it’s starting to secure a number of PC exclusives thanks to the larger profit margins, resulting in Steam losing out on select titles. While there are still some areas that could be tweaked on the Epic Games Store, it’s worth downloading the storefront at the very least to enjoy some of those free monthly game titles.
#21 Origin
The Electronic Arts launcher, Origin is a must-own if you want to purchase and enjoy select EA titles. Chances are most of these games won’t find their way outside of Origin if you’re looking to enjoy them on PC. Again, this is just another storefront outside of Steam and you’ll find several other programs out there that offer a similar experience. This one happens to be most users least favorite, but it’s still a necessary evil.
#20 Launchbox
Emulators and ROMs can be a touchy subject. Collectors will oftentimes prefer to play the original hard release of a video game title and, of course, there is sometimes the legal side of things that stand in the way of making gaming easier. If you’re looking to play some classic console titles, chances are you’ve downloaded a few ROMs and emulators, but the process of managing the games and seamlessly playing them can be a bit cumbersome.
Instead of scrolling through a long list of games on your hard drive, we suggest checking out Launchbox. This is by far the best frontend for an emulator we’ve come across. This program neatly organizes your ROMs and emulators while allowing you to also use your controller to browse for a game to play with ease. Games are broken up into a number of categories, making it even easier to locate a game. The program is free to download, though if you wish to toss in a bit of money then we highly recommend going for the paid version. This opens up more tools and features.
#19 F.lux
When it comes to displays, players often seek out the vibrant panels with a slew of features, from colors that pop to a brightness that can assure you’re not missing out on anything of importance during those dark dungeon raids. However, when you’re playing at night, the bright and beautiful display can start to turn into an eyesore.
Introducing F.lux. This is a program that can adjust your display depending on the time of day it is. If you’re jumping onto the PC early in the morning with a bright natural light filling the room then your display will have been adjusted thanks to the time schedule settings. With this program you can have a display that looks great no matter what time of day it is and best of all, there’s no more fiddling with the settings yourself in order to bring down the brightness.
#18 Pin Steam
When Microsoft introduced Windows 8, they also introduced a brand new design for the operating system. The design wasn’t the most welcomed change, but those who enjoyed the tile view won’t want to miss this addition.
Pin Steam is a program that makes use of the tile Start Menu while integrating Steam. With Steam being the most popular gaming marketplace and software for PC gamers, chances are you have a number of video game titles sitting in your library.
With Pin Steam, gamers can decide to pin whatever game they wish on the Start Menu. Visually, it looks seamless to the Windows 8 operating system design. Additionally, with this software, gamers can also pin their close friends so they can be updated in real-time on what game they are playing.
#17 GameSave Manager
When it comes to computers, it’s not uncommon for users to have an extra storage solution to use as a backup means for their operating system, pictures, videos, and any other files that wish to save. If you’re a gamer that’s working on a long RPG or if you simply like to keep your game saves in a safe place, we’d recommend downloading GameSave Manager. This is a program that easily navigates all the video game saves on your computer so you can back them up on a different drive. Now if you’re unlucky enough to have a drive go bad or a corrupt save, you don’t have to lose all your progress.
Much like most of the programs on this list, gamers can download GameSave Manager completely for free. However, if you enjoy the program and wish to support the developers, you can place a donation through PayPal.
#16 WinDirStat
WinDerStat is another program that deals with storage. However, unlike GameSave Manager, this program helps to decide what to get rid of on your computer. Video games are only getting more advanced, and after a new release hits the market, you’ll likely have to check just how much storage space is required to play the game. If you’re not interested in picking up a bigger drive to store your favorite titles or if your funds are low, it’ll come down to deciding just what to purge. WinDirStat is a great way to see the amount of content stored on your drives.
#15 MSI Afterburner
When it comes to PC gaming, users who opt to create and build their own machines will tend to tinker with it a bit more. As new games are released, you might want to see if you can squeeze out a few more frames from tweaking the settings. MSI Afterburner specializes in various graphics cards. With the GPU being one of the key elements in a gaming PC, it’s easily one of the first components to look at when increasing the overall frames-per-second along with stability.
With MSI Afterburner, gamers will have control over the graphics card. You’ll be able to overclock it and push the card to the limits while also seeing plenty of useful stats. There are even options to run a monitor system on your smartphone with the ability to make adjustments without having to exit out of a game. For those looking to tinker a bit more with a custom gaming PC then this is a program worth researching.
#14 SuperF4
Everyone has come across this problem in their life–you’re on the PC and suddenly a program freezes and refuses to close. There are programs out there that don’t abide by the standard Alt+F4 shortcut. With SuperF4, gamers can kill any program that’s in the foreground with Ctrl+Alt-F4. It’s a small little program but one that is well worth downloading–just in case.
#13 Keytweak
Usually, developers are pretty cool with giving gamers the ability to remap controls. However, there are certain cases in which the development studio decided that the player must abide by the control scheme they have created for the title. If you ever come across a game that wouldn’t allow you to change the key inputs then KeyTweak is a workaround.
Gamers will be able to tweak the keys in order to get the appropriate control scheme that works for them. It’s a rather easy program to work with as well, The software will showcase a full keyboard and from there you can remap keys that may work well within the game. Best of all, when you’re done with the game, the software can remove all the re-mapped keys with a single button.
#12 Borderless Gaming
From narrative-focused journeys to time-killing titles, you’re most likely playing a video game in a full-screen mode. For those few game titles that don’t offer a means to play in a full-screen mode, we suggest looking into the program known as Borderless Gaming. Within the program, players can stream any game in a borderless full-screen mode. Players can tab out of a video game and tweak their playlist, look up a guide, or even open up another program without the fear of the title crashing. The program is also open source which means anyone can help contribute.
#11 Sharex
If you want to capture a funny moment in-game, there are a few ways of going about it, but we’re suggesting Sharex. This is a program that not only acts as a simple way to capture an image but it also comes packed with all sorts of tools and features.
Sharex allows a watermark to be placed on your image automatically and the program can automatically upload the image to image hosting sources online. When you really start to tweak the settings and preferences, capturing images is not only easy with Sharex, but the program can help finesse the screenshot to be visually appealing and marked appropriately. This is a great time-saving tool.
#10 OBS Studio
If you’re fond of video recording your gameplay, you’ve likely come across a wide range of software to choose from. One of the best pieces of software that we can recommend is OBS Studio.
This program records video and is also a useful program for streaming gameplay. OBS Studio is open source, allowing anyone to help aid in updating the software. The program includes an audio mixer with a slew of filter options, multiple scenes to help record various screens or cameras, and a useful docking system, making the user interface more seamless.As mentioned, the software does allow streaming, and it’s supported on three major platforms: Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube.
#9 Nexus Mod Manager
The Nexus Mod Manager is worth downloading if you love mods. This manager makes installing mods extremely easy, though you’ll want to look into the mods and games supported before grabbing it. This can also affect your account, so we really stress looking into the games and mods before progressing in case of being hit with a banned account. Currently, the most popular game mod downloads have been for titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and XCOM.
Of course, this manager will only work for certain games, but many of the more popular open-world titles are included in the mix. Outside of just installing the mods, this manager will help organize the mods you’re using along with options for uninstalling them.
#8 GeForce Experience
If you own an Nvidia graphics card, you’ll want to get GeForce Experience. This is a useful program that does a wide assortment of things. For instance, the software will help make sure that your computer is running the latest drivers for the GPU.
Outside of just making sure your GPU is running up-to-date, the software will also allow gamers to record and share gameplay videos with the software’s record system which can also be used for streaming. GeForce Experience can also automatically optimize your game settings.
#7 Speccy
If you don’t recall the various components in your build or if you didn’t build the system yourself, you may want to download the utility software known as Speccy. Within the program, gamers can see just what components are installed such as RAM, graphics card, and processor. Likewise, there is a decent breakdown of the useful information between all the components such as the temperature, drive speed, and various model numbers.
It’s always a good idea to gauge your PC temperature. If you’re running too hot, you could get some stability issues and potentially hurt the component’s longevity. With this software running you can get a better idea of if you need to upgrade something like the CPU cooler or if your case is even pulling in enough airflow.
#6 PC Decrapifier
When you purchase a PC, it’s guaranteed to come preloaded with useless programs and startup items that could clutter or slow down your machine. This is where the program PC Decrapifier comes into play. This will help get rid of all the software that is not wanted. However, the program can also help users out in the long run so it doesn’t necessarily become useful for just new PC purchases.
When you find that your PC is starting to slow down over time, it could mean that you happened to come across too many useless programs that are taking up your precious resources. Just pop in this program via a USB drive and let it do all the hard work.
#5 UltraMon
Ultramon is another simple but useful tool for gamers. If you’re using multiple monitors, you may run into some issues. That might not be the case for everyone, but to avoid any inconsistencies or issues in the future you should download UltraMon. With the software, users can set up a few different monitor configurations as it supports wallpapers, screensavers, and helps improve productivity. Even if you already have a configuration setup to your liking, running this software could help unlock even more potential and stability.
#4 Prime95
Those of you who enjoy tinkering with your gaming PC may have opted to do some overclocking. This is a great way to help improve the speed and gameplay experience with the latest titles that may potentially be a bit too resource-heavy for your setup.
While you’ll want to be careful with your builds and overclocking, you’ll also want to check the stability of your system. This is where programs such as Prime95 come into play. With this program, users can check to see the stability of their CPU and RAM. During tests, you should be able to tell if your overclock was a success or if there are any underlying issues that may need to be addressed before you start gaming.
#3 Discord
Connecting with friends online is easy in 2022. It’s clear that the main source gamers are using today is Discord. This is a VOIP software in which gamers can chat via text or voice to friends.
Most everyone uses Discord and it’s incredibly easy to set up a private channel in which your group of friends or team can communicate during gameplay. Likewise, there are several popular online media personalities and channels that use the application for gamers to join in and talk among themselves.
Due to its simplicity and popularity, you’ll likely want to give Skype the uninstall and look at using Discord as your main source of communication when online. Furthermore, if you don’t wish to install the program on your computer, there is a web client available so you can still communicate with your friends online.
#2 JoyToKey
JoyToKey is similar to Keytweak, but instead of remapping your keyboard keys to a different button, you can remap any gamepad you like on the PC. After all, some gamepad controllers simply don’t seem to work out very well with certain video games.
While most games work flawlessly with the Microsoft Xbox controllers, you do run into issues where a game simply doesn’t support anything outside a keyboard and mouse, or perhaps the title is too old to have really support gamepads. Finally, a way to solve this annoying issue.
#1 Flawless Widescreen
If you jumped onto the ultrawide monitor craze, you’ve likely run into an issue with a game once or twice. There are still some games being released that don’t offer ultrawide monitor support, and that often means playing a video game with black bars on the sides.
Those who are looking for a quick fix should check out Flawless Widescreen. This is a program that helps out in FOV making select games work with your widescreen display. Not every game will be supported, but you should find that most of the popular triple AAA video game titles will be on the list.
