Capcom’s original Resident Evil games are now available on Steam, giving longtime fans and new players another easy way to revisit the survival horror trilogy that defined an era. The lineup includes Resident Evil (1996), Resident Evil 2 (1998), and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999). Capcom also brought Breath of Fire IV to Steam at the same time, rounding out the drop with a classic RPG option for retro collectors.
Right now, each title is priced at $4.99, with the launch discount set at 50% off until April 15. For players who want to build a classic Capcom library on Steam, it’s a tempting deal—especially for games that still hold up as historic cornerstones of horror game design.
There is one major detail behind the Steam release that’s driving heated conversation: these versions are essentially the same enhanced editions previously released on GOG, but with Capcom’s Enigma DRM added on Steam. That means the improvements fans appreciated in the enhanced releases are present—smoother animations, better keyboard and mouse support, refreshed audio, and expanded display options—yet the Steam editions arrive with an extra layer of DRM that many players didn’t want.
The backlash isn’t just about principle. A big part of the frustration comes from Enigma’s track record in other releases. Capcom has increasingly used the third-party Enigma Protector as a go-to protection tool, and it has sparked complaints before. When it was introduced to Resident Evil Revelations, users reported performance problems and crashes after the change. The situation grew louder with Resident Evil 4 Remake: after launching with Denuvo, the game later switched to Enigma DRM in February 2026, and players reported stuttering frame rates and issues with third-party mods. Following intense criticism, Capcom removed DRM entirely from Resident Evil 4 Remake within 28 days.
That history is part of why some fans are baffled to see Enigma attached to games that are more than two decades old. While the classic Resident Evil ports have earned a “Very Positive” rating on Steam overall, criticism remains active across the community, with many players questioning why DRM is being added to legacy titles in the first place.
Steam Deck owners are also watching this release closely. Reports from users running SteamOS suggest the classic Resident Evil games may not run smoothly out of the box without manual tweaking. Some players say they’ve had to apply fixes to improve performance and stability, while others mention input problems on the handheld, inconsistent video playback, no cloud save support, and broader compatibility headaches that they link to the DRM layer.
For anyone deciding where to buy, the situation is straightforward: Steam now offers an affordable, convenient way to grab Capcom’s classic Resident Evil trilogy—and the games include the enhanced features players expected—but the Enigma DRM inclusion is the sticking point that continues to shape buyer reactions, especially for performance-conscious players and Steam Deck users looking for a seamless, pick-up-and-play experience.
