9 Must-Have PC Gaming Apps

Main points

• Downloading the wrong apps could harm your gaming PC instead of helping.
• Must-have apps for a gaming PC include Steam, Discord, and CCleaner.
• Enhance your gaming experience with keytweak, Bluestacks and OBS Studio.

Whether you’re new to PC gaming or a lifelong veteran, your hardware is only as good as your software. Without the proper apps installed, you’ll only get a fraction of the value out of your huge investment. Thankfully, you can set up everything you need for free, but the problem is knowing what you really need.

Not only can downloading the wrong apps be a waste, they can even make your gaming PC perform worse than it would have been without them. Trust me, there are tons of misleading and spammy apps out there that you would be better off avoiding. I’m not just talking about apps for playing games, either. Of course, these are all essentials, but there’s more to consider when setting up your PC to get the most out of its hardware. It’s impossible to list every bad app on the web, so I’ve taken the simple approach and provide you with a list of nine must-have apps for your gaming PC.

1 steam

Full speed ahead

Yes, I know this seems obvious, but if we’re talking about must-have apps for a gaming PC, I can’t leave Steam out of the equation. Steam isn’t the only marketplace for PC games, but boy, is it the best yet. If you only want to use one game launcher, choose Steam. It’s stood the test of time, and there’s a reason PC gamers complain about the lack of games here.

Steam’s catalog of games is virtually endless. From new books to classics, free to paid, there’s almost nothing you can’t find. It makes organizing your library a breeze, is secure and secure, and has the best sales volume in the industry. It also gives you the option to invest in a Steam Deck to take your library with you.

2 Disharmonious

hop on coms

Gone are the days of in-game chat, and Discord is responsible for that. If you’re playing any online game with friends or just want to chat while everyone does their own thing, it’s either discord or bust. This communication app started out just for gamers, but is very full-featured and can serve as your all-in-one communication hub.

You have the obvious features like voice channels, chat rooms, and DMs, but Discord integrates many more convenient features. You can join different communities and servers for a specific game or franchise, and you can even use it to stream whatever you’re playing to your friends. Despite the name, Discord only simplifies your gaming experience.

3 CC Cleaner

Keep it clean and tidy

Keeping your gaming PC in tip-top shape can be a challenge when you’re frequently downloading and uninstalling large files. Despite your best efforts, there will inevitably be some junk files or neglected trackers that accumulate over time and start affecting your performance. There are many cleaning apps available, but I put my faith in CCleaner and I wasn’t disappointed.

CCleaner offers both free and paid versions, but the free option is comprehensive enough for most users. It scans your computer for privacy issues, frees up space, and eliminates any junk or corrupt files present. It is user-friendly and does not place a heavy operating load on your PC.

4 Opera GX

Browser for “gamerz”

Before I switched to Opera GX, I had never considered how much of a performance drain my browser was having. After experiencing the level of control this browser offers, I can’t go back to Chrome or Firefox. The marketing angle of being a “browser for gamers” is a little daunting, but if you look beyond that, you’ll find a great browser that maximizes the potential of your device.

You may be wondering what your browser can do to enhance your PC gaming experience. Simply put, it ensures that your browser doesn’t consume precious resources that you wish to allocate to your game. It allows you to set limits on the CPU, RAM and network bandwidth used by the browser so it doesn’t interfere with your gaming. Customization options and stylish layouts are just added bonuses.

5 MSI afterburner

turn it up to 11

True PC enthusiasts know that you can’t necessarily take advantage of all the features of a component by default. Unless you go into the settings and make adjustments, you’ll end up with worse performance than your rig should provide on paper. MSI Afterburner makes it easy to squeeze every ounce of power out of your GPU.

Although originally designed specifically for MSI cards, the tool now also works with Nvidia and AMD. You can adjust voltage, power limits, clock speed, and more. Just make sure your computer doesn’t exceed its limits or you risk overheating and damaging components.

Pay close attention to your computer’s heat when overclocking to avoid damaging components.

6 lunch box

Keep your ROMs fresh

I’m not saying you should use ROMs or emulators, given the legal and ethical conversations surrounding them, but if you do, then Lunchbox is a must-have. There’s no single official place like Steam where people can get and browse all ROMs and emulators. This results in you needing multiple folders and files for each classic game you own.

Lunchbox makes organizing all those old games as easy as possible. You can organize and browse all emulators and games in one simple place and launch them directly without having to dig deep into your system. There are many ways you can customize the layout and organization to make it visually and structurally appealing.

7 Button adjustment

Adjust your keys

This option is mostly just a backup plan, but the download is small and if you end up needing it, you’ll be glad you have it. Most games are very flexible in letting you rebind and remap controls, but a few remain stubborn and lock you into whatever scheme the developer chooses. I’m all about choice and accessibility, there’s no reason you should have to struggle with controls that are uncomfortable or unusable.

Keytweak lets you bypass games that don’t offer a convenient way to customize the controls to your liking. Setup is very simple and once you’re done gaming and need to return the keyboard to its default settings, just press a button to return to normal.

8 blue stack

on Android computer

The best part about PC gaming is its versatility. Unlike the console, you are not bound to any single console library (except for some exclusive programs). If you have the right software, you can basically play any game you want, including Android games.

Bluestacks is an Android-specific emulator that you can download, stream over the cloud, and even play in your browser. It is by far the most powerful Android gaming service in terms of performance and breadth of games. There are so many Android games that feel like full-fledged titles, and they’re much better to play at home on a PC than on a phone or tablet.

9 Note Studio

Record your gameplay, no nonsense

Gaming is more of a social hobby than ever before. Whether you play multiplayer games, participate in communities online, or watch streamers, you can have a huge community even with a single-player game. If you want to share your gameplay but don’t want the pressure of people watching you play live, recording your video and sharing it with the world or your friends is the perfect way to do it.

OBS Studio has been around for many years and is one of the most trusted PC recording and streaming software. In addition to the vast number of features it already contains, it is also an open source program, which means anyone in the community can help improve it and add new features to it. While it’s simple enough for most people to teach themselves, you can easily find tutorials to accomplish just about anything. Plus, if you decide to try streaming, it’s already compatible with Twitch and YouTube.