Newcomer / Intro Elte launcher separate from steam ?

tomatoplukkers · Aug 8, 2018

Im new, hi.
Im just curious I have the vanilla base game bought from steam..
If I was to buy the season pass from the dev's website can I register and use it on steam along side my steam registered base game..
or would I use the launcher and need to buy the base game from the dev's store page ?

I can buy season pass from steam ... im just curious if both are interchangeable.

the100thmonkey · Aug 8, 2018

They're interchangeable - you log in to your Frontier account on the launcher.

tomatoplukkers · Aug 8, 2018

Thanks for that info..

I need to have steam running to play ED..

If I close steam and run the dev's launcher, can I run the game without steam running ?

Chris Simon · Aug 8, 2018

tomatoplukkers said:
Thanks for that info..

I need to have steam running to play ED..

If I close steam and run the dev's launcher, can I run the game without steam running ?

I'm not sure about Steam version, but I guess if you have the game registered on Frontier store, you should be able to run the launcher without Steam and log in with your Frontier account.

lokvette · Aug 8, 2018

You can run the steam version without running steam im sure I do.

Sorry its been a while since I logged in, but my game is steam purchased but due to Windows reinstals and getting the launcher for FD site, and using EDFX, even with the steam path, steam hasnt logged me playing it even when I was playing it.

I would test it bit did a fresh install over the weekend and ED hasnt made its way back onto my pc yet.

tomatoplukkers · Aug 8, 2018

Thanks for your replies..

I wanted to test if I can run ED without steam running..
When using steam it installs the files including the launcher.. the launcher steam downloads must be tied to steam as when I run it and login steam then starts in the background and sits in the taskbar..

But having just downloaded the launcher from the dev's website.. I ran that and the game played without loading steam..

Both the steam and the dev's launchers are exactly the same, it seems the one steam downloads , as i said, must be tied to steam as steam runs when I use it.
Whereas the devs launcher is pure standalone..

Its not a huge deal to have steam running, i was just curious.
I'll run the dev's launcher from now on anyway as its standalone.
Its not like steam uses a lot of resources.. I just prefer not to use steam if i dont have too.

the100thmonkey · Aug 8, 2018

Make a shortcut to the launcher executable in ~\Steam\steamapps\common\Elite Dangerous\EDLaunch.exe. Move the shortcut to your desktop. Then you can launch from that shortcut and you don't need Steam running.

Para Handy · Aug 8, 2018

I have a steam-purchased account (it was a gift) - I don't have Elite installed in Steam, the game is listed in the library window but it is not installed. Instead I just use the direct EDLaunch installed by the download from Frontier. There is no need to have it installed in steam whatsoever.

Para Handy · Jun 6, 2020

Para Handy said:
I have a steam-purchased account (it was a gift) - I don't have Elite installed in Steam, the game is listed in the library window but it is not installed. Instead I just use the direct EDLaunch installed by the download from Frontier. There is no need to have it installed in steam whatsoever.

NOTE - Since April 2019 all subsequent Steam-purchased copies of Elite Dangerous need to be logged-in and sun from Steam. They can no longer be run direct from a vanilla installation as per the post above, only Steam-purchased games from before that date can be so run.

Sorry for the necro but I felt I needed to add this post since I saw the thread had attracted attention of new players.

the100thmonkey · Jun 6, 2020

Heh. I saw this thread and thought "oh, that's old info, I should probably post to clarify," but you'd beaten me to it!

Harrowdown · Jun 6, 2020

So where do you download the launcher from the Frontier store? I'd be interested to do this, I don't really use Steam anymore. I want to uninstall it. I may be new but I bought the game in 2015.

Para Handy · Jun 6, 2020

Tricky_ said:
So where do you download the launcher from the Frontier store? I'd be interested to do this, I don't really use Steam anymore. I want to uninstall it. I may be new but I bought the have in 2015.

... In your frontierstore.net account - under "My Account" select "My Downloadable Products" - there you will see Elite Dangerous and Horizons (they are both the same download).

Or of course you could just download the installer direct from http://hosting.zaonce.net/elite/Client-Installer.exe - same thing.

Harrowdown · Jun 6, 2020

Thank you!

the100thmonkey · Jun 7, 2020

Frillop Freyraum said:
But you would still launch your steam account and using your steam installation with its own file structures. This wasn't always the case but has been changed (somewhere last year?). Anyway, it's not possible anymore to start your steam account from a frontier store installation. I have two accounts, one from Frontier and one from Steam. Whenever I start my shortcut to the steam account, steam is being loaded/updated first, because I usually don't run steam in the background.

Have you read anything on this thread after 2018?

FAKE NEWS.