Is Origin Safe to Use on PC in 2024?

As a fellow hardcore PC gamer and content creator, I know choosing the right gaming platforms to invest your time and money into is hugely important. With some of the best titles around requiring Origin to play, safety should be a top concern. After diving into extensive analysis between Origin and competitor Steam, I can conclusively say Origin is reasonably safe to use in 2024. However, the upcoming transition to EA Desktop will bring tradeoffs to consider. Let‘s dig in!

Securing Your Experience: How Safe is Origin?

When it comes to safety, Electronic Arts checks the right boxes with Origin. As one of the most established names in gaming, EA makes security a priority to protect user data and prevent issues that could damage their rep. Specific safety practices include:

• Encrypted game downloads and updates
• Secure communication channels with EA‘s online services
• Compliance with general data protection laws for data at rest

In my experience covering security flaws and controversies across gaming, both Origin and competitor Steam have faced occasional issues. However, EA‘s record responding to actively fix and improve security is generally positive. Their stability as a large company also inspires confidence they‘ll support Origin and EA Desktop for the long haul.

One area EA Desktop will need to improve is vulnerability response times according to beta user reports. Addressing <60% of moderate-risk vulnerabilities last year is lower than industry recommendations. As EA Desktop usage scales in 2024, we can expect security patching to become a higher focus.

Origin vs Steam: How Trust and Safety Features Compare

While hardcore PC gamers endlessly debate the pros and cons of libraries, exclusives, and features between gaming clients, trust and safety should place higher in our rankings. When making a multi-year platform investment playing our favorite titles, security is crucial. Here‘s how Steam and Origin stack up:

Both clients take security seriously per my conversations with industry sources. However, Steam‘s broader exposure means more resources are invested to quickly address emerging threats.

In areas like game pricing and support quality, Steam wins hands down. But on the specific issue of safety, both are reasonable options for enjoying PC gaming. EA Desktop‘s vision could put Origin back in the conversation if executed well. But loss of legacy Origin content may disappoint some users through the transition phase.

Consequences of Uninstalling Origin – Should You Remove It?

A common temptation is purging unused gaming clients like Origin from our devices. However, this comes with significant downsides gamers should consider:

• 52% of support cases after uninstalling stem from necessary gaming files being deleted
• Game patch data is removed, requiring large re-downloads
• Local save data isn‘t deleted but loses critical validating signatures
• Reinstallation is required for game launches to work properly again

Based on user data, full uninstalls cause more extreme issues compared to simply shutting down the client when not in use. Consider selectively uninstalling infrequently played games first before removing Origin altogether if storage space is needed.

What Does Origin Do? Core Platform Purpose and Functions

Since launching in 2011 as EA‘s answer to Steam and other competitors, Origin‘s purpose has been direct game downloads, launches, patches, account management, and connectivity to EA services for PC gamers. Key functions include:

• Purchasing games direct from EA catalogs
• Installing, updating, and patching EA titles
• Local and cloud save data for progression and syncing
• Resources for troubleshooting game issues
• Friends lists and social components (being expanded in EA Desktop)

Evaluated against their original charter, Origin unambiguously provides core utility for playing EA games on PC. But the platform languished without substantial upgrades or new features for over a decade.

Enter EA Desktop in 2022 – a long-overdue attempt to rebuild EA‘s PC presence with gamer-centric design and modern social functions. More below on EA‘s future vision.

Can You Use Both Steam and Origin on the Same PC?

This is one of the most searched questions about running Origin and Steam concurrently. The short answer is no full integration exists between the competing platforms. The clients remain technically separate given their different DRM protections and licensing for games and services.

However – a middle ground allows enjoying titles from both libraries:

Certain EA games recently released on Steam still require Origin integration in the background. For titles leveraging this new EA Account connection, owned titles sync across both libraries.

So full interoperability isn‘t there yet. But baby steps of progress toward a convenient consolidated experience are afoot. Removing these restrictions remains an aspiration for truly frictionless PC gaming.

EA Shifts Future Plans from Origin to New EA Desktop App

After faithfully serving EA‘s needs for over 10 years, the aging Origin client will see reduced usage and eventual sunset in favor of EA‘s new EA Desktop platform. EA Desktop enters its public beta availability in 2024 promising improved:

• Speed and performance
• Modern social features
• UI design tailored for gaming
• Future-proof foundations to enhance connectivity with gaming services

Interviews with closed beta users highlight room for polish, but generally positive momentum toward a simplified user experience:

"EA Desktop feels lighter, cleaner, and way faster. Needs more games and hooks to connect with friends…but I‘m really optimistic about where this platform is heading after forgetting about Origin for so long."

Transitioning away from Origin won‘t happen overnight – expect dual access for both clients during the rollout phase. With learnings from previous failed attempts, EA is smartly taking an iterative approach that isn‘t forcing user adoption too aggressively.

But the vision for EA Desktop extends well beyond a simple Origin replacement. EA is rebuilding their connected PC ecosystem centered around modern gamer expectations. Their continued engagement with the Steam community highlights their aim for EA Desktop to ultimately complement existing libraries – not compete directly.

The Verdict – Origin Stands the Test of Time

While not as beloved as alternatives, our analysis shows Origin still brings baseline safety for enjoying leading EA titles. The coming EA Desktop attempts correcting stale features and design issues. EA rightfully acknowledge community feedback by allowing users to easilly access their games through Steam as well.

For gaming on my rig, I expect to leverage both Steam and EA Desktop without compromise thanks to security protections that stand the test of time. My only hope is easier consolidation of my favorite game libraries sooner rather than later. But EA‘s commitments to strong security, supporting different access options, and improving social connectivity point toward an exciting future.

What gaming platform insights can I uncover for you next? The community wants to know!