Choose Battlefield 3™
Choose Battlefield 3™ if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 69.2% positive across 5,027 reviews.
Battlefield 3™ vs Battlefield™ 2042
Battlefield 3™ and Battlefield™ 2042 both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Battlefield 3™ (2020) is 1 year older than Battlefield™ 2042 (2021). Battlefield 3™ scores higher on Steam reviews (69.2% positive) than Battlefield™ 2042 (46.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Battlefield™ 2042
Choose Battlefield™ 2042 if you want an Adventure and Casual game with Online Co-op, HDR available, and Color Alternatives. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 106,320 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Battlefield 3™ and Battlefield™ 2042 sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Battlefield 3™ |  Battlefield™ 2042 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.2% positive (5,027 reviews) | 46.7% positive (106,320 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | DICE | DICE |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Battlefield 3™ (2020) is 1 year older than Battlefield™ 2042 (2021).
- Battlefield 3™ scores higher on Steam reviews (69.2% positive) than Battlefield™ 2042 (46.7% positive).
- Battlefield 3™ is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Battlefield™ 2042 (1.99 USD vs. 2.99 USD).
- Battlefield™ 2042 has co-op; Battlefield 3™ does not.
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Battlefield 3™ vs Battlefield™ 2042 — FAQ
- Which is better, Battlefield 3™ or Battlefield™ 2042?
- On Steam reviews Battlefield 3™ scores higher (69.2% positive) than Battlefield™ 2042 (46.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Battlefield 3™ is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Battlefield 3™ or Battlefield™ 2042 first?
- If you want chronology, Battlefield 3™ (2020) came out before Battlefield™ 2042 (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Battlefield 3™ and Battlefield™ 2042 similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.