A recent Polygon interview about Star Wars: Galactic Racer claimed George Lucas’s original arcade-trilogy energy is finally returning to the franchise. Maybe. The game’s a year away from launch, and the Star Wars catalogue is already deep with games worth playing right now. The challenge for desktop players isn’t finding a Star Wars game; it’s picking the right one for the mood — souls-flavoured saber combat, classic BioWare RPG, dogfights through asteroid fields, or a chaotic LEGO retelling of nine films at once.
We ranked eight Star Wars games available on Windows, macOS, or Linux through Proton, from the modern flagships to the older catalogue titles that still hold up. Every pick runs on current desktop hardware, ships through Steam or EA’s storefront, and has an active enough community to make multiplayer modes work in 2026.
What to look for in a desktop Star Wars game
The Star Wars catalogue spans nearly three decades of design. The right pick depends on:
- The era you care about. Prequel-trilogy fans gravitate to Republic Commando and Battlefront II. KOTOR players want the Old Republic. The Jedi saga slots into the Disney canon.
- The combat style. Lightsaber-and-Force action (Jedi: Survivor, Fallen Order), arcade shooter (Battlefront II), tactical squad (Republic Commando), turn-based RPG (KOTOR II).
- Single-player versus live service. Several Star Wars games run live-service progression with seasonal content. Others are crafted single-player stories that end when the credits roll.
- Linux support. Most of the catalogue runs on Linux through Proton. The exception is anti-cheat for some Battlefront modes.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Era | Free demo | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Modern saber-and-Force flagship | Disney / Imperial | None | $69.99 base |
| Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | Souls-flavoured saber action | Disney / Imperial | None | $39.99 base |
| KOTOR II: Sith Lords | Best Star Wars RPG ever shipped | Old Republic | None | $9.99 base |
| Star Wars: Squadrons | Best space dogfighting | Disney | None | $39.99 base |
| Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) | Best modern arcade shooter | Skywalker saga | Yes via EA Play | $39.99 base |
| Star Wars: Republic Commando | Best squad-based shooter | Prequel / Clone Wars | None | $9.99 base |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Best family-friendly entry | All nine films | Yes via Game Pass | $49.99 base |
| Star Wars: The Old Republic | Best F2P story-driven MMO | Old Republic | Yes, free-to-play | Free |
The 8 best Star Wars games for desktop
1. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — best modern flagship
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor picks up Cal Kestis’s story after Fallen Order and turns up every dial. The saber combat is deeper (five stances, a real ability tree), the worlds are larger, and the platforming sequences finally feel polished after the first game’s rough edges. The 2025 PC patches fixed the launch performance issues; on a current GPU, the game runs smoothly at high settings.
For lightsaber action with souls-flavoured difficulty, Survivor is the current pinnacle.
Where it falls short: Launched in rough shape on PC and the reputation lingers. Cosmetic customization is shallower than the saber combat suggests it should be. Some side content padding in the middle act.
Pricing:
- Paid: $69.99 base on Steam, often discounted to $30
Platforms: Windows, macOS through CrossOver, Linux through Proton.
Bottom line: The right pick for the most polished modern Star Wars action game.
2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — best souls-flavoured entry point
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the first game in the Jedi saga and the one that proved the souls-saber formula works. The combat is tighter and the world is smaller than Survivor’s, but the storytelling is arguably better — Cal’s arc with BD-1 is the closest the Disney canon has come to the original trilogy’s tone. For new players starting the saga, Fallen Order is the right entry.
Where it falls short: The fast-travel system was added in patches and isn’t as polished as Survivor’s. Some platforming sections age less gracefully than the combat.
Pricing:
- Paid: $39.99 base; frequently discounted to $5 or included in EA Play
Platforms: Windows, macOS through CrossOver, Linux through Proton.
Bottom line: Start here if Jedi: Survivor sounds appealing but you haven’t played the first one.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II — best Star Wars RPG
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is the BioWare-engine RPG by Obsidian, and 20 years on it’s still the best-written Star Wars story shipped in a game. The mod community completed the content that was cut from the original release, the Steam version supports modern resolutions, and the dialogue choices around Kreia and the nature of the Force land harder now than they did in 2004.
Where it falls short: Combat shows its age. The interface needs UI mods to feel comfortable on a modern monitor. The Restored Content Mod is essentially required.
Pricing:
- Paid: $9.99 base, regularly $2.49 on sale
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (native).
Bottom line: The right pick for Star Wars storytelling above Star Wars gameplay.
4. Star Wars: Squadrons — best space dogfighting
Star Wars: Squadrons is the dedicated TIE-fighter-and-X-wing dogfighting game the franchise needed. The cockpit-view-only design forces you to actually learn the ships, the single-player campaign alternates between Imperial and Rebel pilots, and the multiplayer modes scratch the head-to-head dogfight itch. VR support is the secret weapon — Squadrons in a headset is the closest video games have come to actually being Star Wars.
Where it falls short: Multiplayer matchmaking has thinned out; expect waits for full fleet battles. Single-player campaign is short.
Pricing:
- Paid: $39.99 base; often discounted to $5
Platforms: Windows. VR support via Oculus and SteamVR.
Bottom line: The right pick when the appeal is sitting in a TIE cockpit and chasing X-wings through an asteroid field.
5. Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) — best arcade shooter
Star Wars Battlefront II is the 2017 release that landed in controversy over its launch loot-box economy, then spent two years fixing itself into a genuinely excellent multiplayer shooter. The 40-player Galactic Assault mode covers every era of the films, the heroes-and-villains roster is broad, and the gunplay-plus-Force-power chaos is what the original Battlefront games promised. EA stopped adding content in 2020, but the existing catalogue is huge.
Where it falls short: No new content since 2020. Hero balance is frozen wherever the last patch left it. Some servers in off-peak regions have low player counts.
Pricing:
- Free: trial via EA Play
- Paid: $39.99 base; routinely $4 on sale
Platforms: Windows.
Bottom line: The right pick when you want a modern arcade shooter set across every Star Wars era.
6. Star Wars: Republic Commando — best squad-based shooter
Star Wars: Republic Commando is the 2005 cult-favourite squad shooter that turned the Clone Wars era into a Rainbow Six-style tactical experience. You command a squad of three other commandos through chapters that mix gunplay, breaching, and small-team coordination. The 2021 console re-release brought renewed attention; the PC version on Steam and GOG remains the definitive way to play it.
Where it falls short: Multiplayer servers shut down years ago. Some level-design conventions from 2005 feel dated. The Steam version requires occasional compatibility tweaks on modern Windows.
Pricing:
- Paid: $9.99 base; often discounted to $2.49
Platforms: Windows; Linux through Proton; macOS no longer supported.
Bottom line: The right pick when squad-based tactical shooting is the appeal more than open combat.
7. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga — best family-friendly entry
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga retells all nine main-line films in a single LEGO-flavoured package, with hundreds of unlockable characters, open hub planets, and the kind of co-op friendly chaos LEGO games are known for. The 2022 release was the team’s most ambitious yet, and the post-launch DLC added several spin-off film and series characters. It’s the easiest Star Wars game to pick up with kids or a non-gaming partner.
Where it falls short: Cutscene-heavy in the early hours. Some open-world hubs are repetitive. The open-world structure has a few padding-shaped collectibles.
Pricing:
- Free: trial via Game Pass
- Paid: $49.99 base; often $10 on sale
Platforms: Windows; Linux through Proton.
Bottom line: The right pick for couch co-op or playing with a kid old enough to follow the films.
8. Star Wars: The Old Republic — best free MMORPG
Star Wars: The Old Republic is the BioWare MMORPG that turned into the largest free-to-play Star Wars game alive. Each of the eight class storylines is essentially a full single-player RPG; the shared expansions add the MMO layer on top. The 2025 expansions kept content rolling, and the F2P tier is generous enough to play the class stories to credits without paying.
Where it falls short: The free-to-play caps on inventory, currency, and high-level gear push subscription pressure. UI shows its 2011 origins in places. Combat animations age more visibly than KOTOR II’s writing.
Pricing:
- Free, with optional subscription at $14.99 per month and a one-time “Preferred” status purchase to lift most F2P caps
Platforms: Windows; Linux through Proton.
Bottom line: The right pick when you want a Star Wars game to live in for months rather than weeks.
How to pick the right Star Wars game
- If you want the modern flagship: Jedi: Survivor (Fallen Order first if you haven’t played it).
- If you want the best Star Wars story: KOTOR II with the Restored Content Mod.
- If you want to sit in a TIE fighter: Squadrons, in VR if possible.
- If you want chaotic multiplayer: Battlefront II 2017 — the price-on-sale is unbeatable.
- If you want squad-tactical: Republic Commando.
- If you want to play with kids or a partner: LEGO: Skywalker Saga.
- If you want a Star Wars MMO without paying: The Old Republic, free for the class storylines.
FAQ
What is the best free Star Wars game for desktop?
Star Wars: The Old Republic is free-to-play and includes the class storylines at no cost. Battlefront II is regularly on EA Play’s free trial. Both are the strongest “pay nothing” options.
Can I play Star Wars games on Linux?
Most of the catalogue runs on Linux through Proton. KOTOR II has native Linux support. The exception is Battlefront II’s anti-cheat in some modes; check ProtonDB for current status before relying on multiplayer.
Is Jedi: Survivor or Fallen Order a better starting point?
Fallen Order is the first game and runs on lower-spec hardware. Survivor is the sequel and benefits from playing Fallen Order first, but the gameplay is more polished. If your PC handles it, Survivor — but the story expects you’ve met Cal already.
What is the best Star Wars RPG?
KOTOR II: The Sith Lords by Obsidian, with the Restored Content Mod installed. KOTOR I is excellent too, but KOTOR II has the better writing and the more interesting moral choices.
Is Star Wars: The Old Republic worth playing in 2026?
For the class storylines, yes — each one is a 30-40 hour single-player RPG you can play free. For the high-level MMO content, the subscription is required to lift the most punishing F2P caps.
Are any of these games on Mac?
KOTOR II has a native Mac version. Several others run through CrossOver or under Apple’s GPTK. Most Disney-era Star Wars games are Windows-only natively.
