PC gaming is always one or two steps ahead. Even in the early years of a new console generation, the big wheezing towers rapidly leap ahead in terms of tech, and game performance. Then add to that the greater range of possible genres like complex strategy and MMOand the incredibly vibrant indie scene, plus how PC tends to sidestep the “exclusivity” of the console wars, and it’s quite the most broad way to play video games.
Now even PlayStation’s first-party titles are belatedly arriving on PC in souped up versions, alongside Xbox’s cross-platform ubiquity via Game Pass, the loss of convenience of a simple plastic box can be ever more easily dismissed. For this list, however, we’ve focused on the most PC-centric games, rather than excellent examples ported over from other platforms.
But where should you start? And what might you have missed? Here are the 18 best PC games you can install right now.