Can I Buy a Game on Steam and Use Origin?

The answer to the question Can I buy a game on Steam and use Origin? is yes, you can buy a game on Steam and use Origin, but there are certain conditions and requirements that need to be met, such as linking your EA and Steam account to enable shared access to your game library. This allows for cross-platform compatibility, enabling you to launch games from either Steam or Origin, provided the game is available on both platforms and supports this feature.

Understanding Cross-Platform Compatibility

To take full advantage of cross-platform compatibility, you need to ensure that your EA and Steam accounts are linked, allowing you to access your games from either platform. This feature is particularly useful for gamers who have purchased games on both Steam and Origin, as it simplifies game management and accessibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. What happens if I buy a game on Steam that I already have on Origin?: If you buy a game on Steam that you already own on Origin, you may need to uninstall the game from Origin to avoid conflicts and save disk space.
2. Can I use Origin and Steam?: Yes, Steam and Origin players can play together, provided the game supports cross-platform play.
3. Is it better to buy games on Steam or Origin?: Steam is generally preferred due to its larger game library and better services, but the choice ultimately depends on your personal preferences and the specific games you want to play.

Purchasing and Refunds

4. Is it OK to buy games off of Steam?: Yes, Steam uses HTTPS to secure purchases, making it a safe platform for buying games.
5. How do I combine Origin and Steam?: To link your EA and Steam accounts, navigate to the EA Help Website, log in, and follow the prompts to connect your Steam account.
6. Can you own the same game twice on Steam?: You can only own a single copy of a game per Steam account, but you can gift extra copies to other Steam accounts.

Account and Game Management

7. Is it against Steam rules to have 2 accounts?: While you can access different Steam accounts from one computer, having multiple accounts for exploiting the system is against Steam’s rules.
8. What happens if I accidentally bought a game twice on Steam?: You can request a refund if you meet the refund conditions, which include purchasing the game within the last 14 days and playing it for less than 2 hours.
9. What happens if you redeem a game you already have on Steam?: If you try to redeem a game you already own, you’ll receive a notification and won’t be able to add it to your library again.

Refunds and Purchases

10. Can I refund a game on Steam if I never played it?: Yes, you can refund a game if you haven’t played it and the purchase was made within the last 14 days.
11. Does permanently removing a game from Steam refund it?: No, removing a game from your Steam library does not automatically refund the purchase.
12. How many times can you buy and refund the same game on Steam?: There’s no limit to refund requests, but abusing the refund system can result in losing access to this feature.

Game Availability and Support

13. Can I buy a game on Steam and download it years later?: Yes, once you purchase a game, it remains in your Steam library, and you can download it at any time.
14. What happens if Steam removes a game I bought?: Retired games remain in your library, and you can still download, install, and play them.
15. Why does it cost $100 to upload a game to Steam?: The $100 fee is a non-refundable charge for submitting a game on Steam Direct, aimed at filtering out low-quality games and supporting game developers with a revenue threshold.