Choose Quake 4
Choose Quake 4 if it's the newer release (2011) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,665 Steam reviews back the pick.
Quake 4 vs Quake
Quake 4 and Quake 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. Quake (2007) is 4 years older than Quake 4 (2011). Quake scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% 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 Quake
Choose Quake if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.4% positive across 9,755 reviews.
Both Quake 4 and Quake sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Quake 4 |  Quake | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2007 |
| Genres | Action | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.5% positive (1,665 reviews) | 96.4% positive (9,755 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | RavenSoft, id Software | id Software, Nightdive Studios, MachineGames |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Quake (2007) is 4 years older than Quake 4 (2011).
- Quake scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% positive).
- Quake is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Quake 4 (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Quake has co-op; Quake 4 does not.
- Quake is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Quake 4 has no Deck rating yet.
Quake 4 vs Quake — FAQ
- Which is better, Quake 4 or Quake?
- On Steam reviews Quake scores higher (96.4% positive) than Quake 4 (85.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Quake is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Quake 4 or Quake first?
- If you want chronology, Quake (2007) came out before Quake 4 (2011). 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 Quake 4 and Quake 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.