Choose Elite Dangerous
Choose Elite Dangerous if you want an Action, Strategy, and Adventure game with Multi-player, MMO, and VR Supported. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 52,491 Steam reviews back the pick.
Elite Dangerous vs Discovering Space 2
Elite Dangerous and Discovering Space 2 both land in Simulation 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 Simulation games on Steam. Elite Dangerous (2015) is 2 years older than Discovering Space 2 (2017). Elite Dangerous scores higher on Steam reviews (76.7% positive) than Discovering Space 2 (75% 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 Discovering Space 2
Choose Discovering Space 2 if you want an Indie and Casual game with Tracked Controller Support and VR Only. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Discovering Space 2 launched in 2017.
Both Elite Dangerous and Discovering Space 2 sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (76.7% vs 75% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Elite Dangerous |  Discovering Space 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.7% positive (52,491 reviews) | 75% positive (68 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frontier Developments | Discovering VR |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Elite Dangerous (2015) is 2 years older than Discovering Space 2 (2017).
- Elite Dangerous scores higher on Steam reviews (76.7% positive) than Discovering Space 2 (75% positive).
- Discovering Space 2 is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Elite Dangerous (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Elite Dangerous has co-op; Discovering Space 2 does not.
- Elite Dangerous is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Discovering Space 2 has no Deck rating yet.
Elite Dangerous vs Discovering Space 2 — FAQ
- Should I play Elite Dangerous or Discovering Space 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Elite Dangerous (2015) came out before Discovering Space 2 (2017). 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 Elite Dangerous and Discovering Space 2 similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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.
- Does Discovering Space 2 have multiplayer like Elite Dangerous?
- No. Elite Dangerous supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while Discovering Space 2 is listed as single-player only.
- Does Elite Dangerous run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Elite Dangerous is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Discovering Space 2 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.