Steam is one of the biggest online stores for desktop games, attracting most PC game developers for its wide reach and profitability. However, not all your games can be sold on Steam since they must meet specific platform requirements to qualify for publication. Additionally, Steam charges fees based on each game’s performance in the market. Let’s explore how much Steam charges to sell a game and the associated selling process.
How Much Does Steam Charge to Sell a Game?
With this tutorial, you will get a comprehensive understanding of how much Steam charges for the marketing of your game and what are the steps to market your game through Steamworks. Let’s dive right in!
Can I Sell My Game on Steam?
Yes, you can sell your game on Steam. However, you can sell it only if you meet the platform’s requirements and become a Steamworks partner. Once you become a Steamworks partner, you can market as many games as you want on Steam and generate big revenue if the game is liked by the players.
Is It Free to Sell Games on Steam?
No, selling games on Steam is not free. To become a Steamworks member and market games on Steam, you must pay a one-time fee of $100. Steam charges a percentage of the total revenue generated by marketing a game, and the remaining amount goes to the developer. While Steam users can buy games at a discounted price, developers cannot market their games on Steam for free. To find out how much Steam charges to market a game, refer to the heading below.
How Much Does Steam Charge to Sell a Game?
Steam charges a 30% cut of all game sales on its platform, which means that developers earn 70% of the revenue generated by their games. However, if the game manages to generate revenues of millions, like over $10 million and $50 million, this commission fee drops to 25% and 20%, respectively. Hence, the charges depend on the market performance of the game.
In addition to this revenue split, there is also a one-time fee that developers must pay to become a Steamworks partner, which is the program that allows them to sell their games on Steam. This fee is currently $100, and it is intended to discourage fraudulent or spammy submissions to the platform. However, the fee is a one-time payment, and once a developer becomes a Steamworks partner, they can continue to market their games on Steam indefinitely as long as they follow the platform’s rules and guidelines.
Also Read: How Much Does it Cost to Build a PC
How Do I Sell My Games Back on Steam?
You cannot sell your purchased games back on Steam. When you purchase any game, it gets linked to your Steam account and makes it impossible for you to trade it to someone else on the same platform.
How to Sell a Game on Steam
The below-mentioned method details the game selling process on Steam:
1. Visit the Steamworks website on your browser.
2. Click on Sign in from the right-hand side of the screen if you have an existing Steam account.
Note: You have to click on Join Steamworks and follow the onscreen instructions if you want to create a new Steam account.
3. Enter your Steam account credentials and click on Sign in.
4. From your Accounts page, click on Sign Up next to the Game Developer or Publisher option, as shown below.
5. Fill out all your company details, pay the one-time Developer fee, and complete the Signup process.
6. Now, visit the Steamworks SDK Downloads page and click on Download latest SDK.
7. After downloading is finished, set up the Steam SDK application.
8. Now, with the help of Steam SDK, upload your game to Steam.
9. Once the game is uploaded, send it for Review.
Note: Game review might take several days or weeks.
10. Once your game is approved, set up your store page by adding a game price, description, and game screenshots/images.
11. Once everything is set, now you can release your game for sale on Steam.
Also Read: How to Sell Stuff on Amazon
Is Selling Games on Steam Profitable?
Yes, selling games on Steam can be profitable. However, the Steam profitability of a game depends on various factors such as:
- Quality of the game
- Target audience
- Marketing efforts
- Competition
On Steam, potential users are interested in playing high-quality games. If your game is of high quality and appeals to a broad audience, you have the potential to make significant profits. However, with thousands of games released each year, competition on Steam is fierce. Therefore, it can be challenging to attract customers without effective marketing and promotion. Marketing games on Steam can be profitable if the game is of high quality and advertised with the right strategy.
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With this guide, you must have learned how much does Steam charge to sell a game and what efforts are required to make your game profitable on Steam. Comment your queries and suggestions in the space provided below and keep exploring our website for more tech guides.
