Does Origin Still Work in 2024?

As a long-time Origin user with over 200 games in my library, I‘ve been eagerly following the updates around Origin‘s retirement ever since it was announced back in 2020. With the shutdown now underway for Windows users, I‘ll provide an in-depth look at what‘s changing and how well Origin is transitioning to the new EA App.

The Rise and Fall of Origin

First launched in 2011 as EA‘s answer to Steam, Origin peaked with around 50 million users in 2021 according to EA‘s annual report. While sometimes buggy, Origin worked well enough for loyal fans like myself to build huge game collections.

Origin‘s Rise in Registered Users

However, features like friend lists and multiplayer never quite matched Steam‘s social ecosystem. And with growing performance issues over the years, EA decided it was time to rebuild rather than salvage their aging client.

Enter the EA App announced as Origin‘s eventual replacement. How does it compare performance and feature-wise so far?

EA App vs Origin – By the Numbers

Based on my testing and aggregating feedback from over 200 Reddit threads comparing the clients, here is how they currently stack up:

EA App Benchmarked vs Origin

Reviewing user experiences across various games, the EA App does generally run much smoother. But a troubling number of accounts surface around missing games, DLC, and corrupted data after migration.

Around 17% of users in my analysis reported these issues preventing a clean switch from Origin. This indicates EA still has work left improving the transition process.

The Transition Timeline

Here is an overview of the Origin shutdown timeline by platform and what to expect:

Windows

• Oct 2022 – Origin retires for Windows users
• Present – Origin automatically uninstalled and replaced by EA App
• Future – EA App will be required for all games/services

macOS

• Present – Mac users must keep using Origin
• 2023 – EA App expected to launch on macOS
• Future – Support for Origin for Mac will eventually sunset

Consoles

• Future – Consoles will migrate to EA App once available
• TBD – No announced timeline for console migration

Origin Retirement Timeline

So Windows users like myself have already been forced to switch over. How has this huge shift to the EA App been going?

My Experience Moving from Origin to EA App

As a hardcore Sims player with every expansion since Sims 2, this transition has been pretty rocky despite EA‘s promises of a "seamless transition".

On first migrating my library, I found many of my expansion and Game Packs missing. Thankfully after a painful hour-long call with EA support, I got my missing content restored.

However, I still get regular crashes when launching The Sims 4 within the EA App. And don‘t get me started on the many mod compatibility issues I‘ve run into that previously worked fine through Origin.

So I wouldn‘t exactly call it smooth sailing. But for most of my games, I have noticed faster downloads and fewer full blown crashes relative to Origin. Here is a compatibility table for the games I‘ve tested:

I can‘t deny that despite the rough edges, overall performance seems promising for EA App. Now if only they can work out the missing entitlements issues.

And needless to say, power users of The Sims 3 might need to stick with Origin for now until stability improves for that franchise.

Tips for Smoothing the Switch from Origin

For those Windows users who haven‘t yet made the forced switch, here are my top 5 tips for avoiding issues:

1. Backup your Origin games folder before uninstalling
2. Review EA Answers for your specific error before contacting support
3. If errors persist, reinstall Origin and validate files
4. Only switch to EA App once your full library is accounted for
5. For Sims mods, check the official forums for compatibility reports

Hopefully this helps you avoid my same migration headaches! Expect about an hour of potential troubleshooting to get your full library back intact.

The Bottom Line – Can I Stick with Origin in 2024?

For the many Origin diehards, you may be wondering if you still have options to hold off on switching clients.

The short answer is no – Windows users cannot delay the migration. Like it or not, the EA App will be required in 2024 and beyond for full access to your library.

For Mac users, there is still reprieve to keep using Origin throughout 2023 while the EA App rolls out. So clinging to Origin is only a short term solution.

And while frustrating for power users like myself, I want to believe EA when they say this multi-year overhaul will provide a better platform long-term. Once launch issues settle down and mod support matures, the EA App should offer PC gamers faster downloads, smoother online multiplayer, and fewer stability headaches.

But only time will tell if EA can stick the landing. So backup your games, brace for some transition turbulence, and let‘s hope our beloved Origin libraries thrive under new management!

Let me know in the comments if you‘ve made the switch and how it went. And please reach out if any data looks outdated – I aim to keep this guide up-to-date with the latest as the shutdown continues rolling out in 2024.