Genshin Impact is not officially available on Steam. HoYoverse, the game's developer, distributes it through their own official launcher (which was updated to HoYoPlay in June 2024) and the Epic Games Store. This decision likely comes down to financial reasons, as Steam takes a significant cut (around 30%) of game revenue, which is a big deal for a free-to-play game that relies on in-app purchases.

While you won't find Genshin Impact directly listed in the Steam store, you can still play it through Steam if you want to. You can add the game as a "Non-Steam Game" to your Steam library. This lets you launch it from Steam and use features like the Steam overlay.

Why isn't Genshin Impact on Steam?

The main reason Genshin Impact isn't on Steam is likely due to money. Valve, the company behind Steam, takes a large percentage of sales and in-game purchases made through their platform. For a hugely popular free-to-play game like Genshin Impact, which generates a lot of revenue from its gacha system and in-app purchases, giving up a big chunk of that income to Steam probably doesn't make good business sense. Instead, HoYoverse benefits more by distributing the game through its own launcher and the Epic Games Store, which is known for taking a smaller cut.

I remember a while back when a friend was trying to get me into Genshin Impact, and the first thing I did was search for it on Steam. I was so used to just finding everything there. When it wasn't there, I was a bit confused, thinking maybe it was a mobile-only game at first. It took a quick search to figure out I needed to download it directly from their site. It just goes to show how ingrained Steam is for many PC gamers.

Where to Officially Download Genshin Impact

If you're looking to dive into the world of Teyvat, here are the official ways to get Genshin Impact on your PC:

• HoYoverse's Official Launcher (HoYoPlay): This is the direct way from the creators themselves. You can download the game launcher right from the official Genshin Impact website. This launcher was updated to HoYoPlay in June 2024 and acts as an integrated platform for all of HoYoverse's PC games.
• Epic Games Store: Genshin Impact is also officially available on the Epic Games Store. If you already use Epic Games for other titles, this might be a convenient option for you.

Adding Genshin Impact as a Non-Steam Game

Even though it's not officially on Steam, you can still add Genshin Impact to your Steam library. This is a neat trick that lets you organize all your games in one place and use Steam's features, like the in-game overlay for chatting with friends.

Here’s how you can do it:

• First, download and install Genshin Impact using either the official HoYoverse launcher or the Epic Games Store.
• Open your Steam client.
• In the bottom-left corner of the Steam window, click on "Add a Game".
• Select "Add a Non-Steam Game...".
• A list of programs on your computer will appear. Find "Genshin Impact" or its launcher in this list. If you don't see it, you might need to click "Browse..." and navigate to where you installed the game.
• Once found, select it and click "Add Selected Programs".

Now, Genshin Impact will show up in your Steam library. You can even customize its appearance with custom artwork to make it look like an official Steam title. I’ve done this with a few games that weren’t on Steam, and it really helps keep my library organized. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference when I'm just trying to quickly launch a game.

In summary, while Genshin Impact isn't officially sold on Steam, you have other official download options and a handy way to integrate it into your Steam library.

If you enjoy Genshin Impact and want to make in-app purchases for things like Genesis Crystals or Battle Pass upgrades, you can use Playstorm to redeem Google Play or Apple App Store gift cards.