Back in 2011, EA launched the Origin app, offering PC gamers an alternative digital storefront to Steam for purchasing their titles. A significant move at the time was the mandatory use of Origin for playing Mass Effect 3 in 2012. However, despite these efforts, Origin struggled to gain widespread acceptance due to its cumbersome user experience and login issues, leading many gamers to avoid it whenever possible. EA continued to push forward with Origin but has now decided to replace it with the EA app, which unfortunately retains some of the same clunkiness.
There are several important considerations with this transition. For instance, if you own games like Titanfall on Origin and can't access your account, you'll need to formally switch to an EA account to retain access to your purchased games. Failure to do so could mean losing your library entirely.
Additionally, the EA app exclusively supports 64-bit operating systems, leaving behind users on 32-bit systems. While this might not affect many, as Steam also ceased support for 32-bit OS in early 2024, it's worth noting that Microsoft sold 32-bit versions of Windows 10 up until 2020. If you're running Windows 11, you're in the clear since 64-bit support has been standard since Windows Vista nearly two decades ago.
To check if your system is 32-bit or 64-bit, you can look at your RAM usage. A 32-bit OS can only handle up to 4GB of RAM. If your system has more than that, you're likely on a 64-bit OS. However, if you've mistakenly installed a 32-bit version of Windows, you'll need to perform a complete system wipe and reinstall a 64-bit version.
While the discontinuation of 32-bit support in 2024 might not be surprising, it raises significant concerns about digital ownership. Losing access to a library of games due to hardware limitations isn't ideal. Even Steam, which also dropped 32-bit support, leaves some players unable to upgrade to newer systems without losing their games.
Moreover, the rise of invasive digital DRM solutions like Denuvo in PC gaming adds to these concerns. These solutions often require deep access to your system or impose arbitrary installation limits, despite your ownership of the game.
One solution to preserve your digital library is to support GOG, operated by CD Projekt. GOG's DRM-free approach means that once you download a game, you can run it on any supported hardware indefinitely. While this does open a window for potential piracy, it hasn't deterred developers from releasing new titles on the platform, such as the upcoming RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which is slated to be available on GOG soon.
