All the tips you need to make the most of this year’s Steam Summer Sale.
To paraphrase R-Kelly, “my wallet says, “NOO!” But my body… MY BODY SAYS, “YEEESSSSS!” Yep, it’s that time of year that PC gamers love and fear in equal measure – the Steam Summer Sale 2017 is now upon us.
With Steam Summer Sale 2017 dates finally revealed, PC gamers are now in the thick of the annual gaming deal-a-thon, with computer gaming overlords Valve lining up wallet-walloping deals on a whole range of titles.
There are always massive savings to be had – but there are some Steam sale pitfalls to avoid, too. With that in mind, here are our tips for to make the most of – and survive – the Steam Summer Sale 2017.
As is almost becoming an annual tradition, the money handlers at PayPal lifted the lid on this year’s Steam Summer Sale dates. Tweeting from the official PayPal account, it revealed the Steam Summer Sale for 2017 kicks off on June 22.
It’s worth noting also that UK gamers who spend £20 or more in the Steam store during the sale will also receive £5 off the purchase when paying with PayPal. The offer will run until July 5 2017 – which would suggest that’s when the sale will end, too. There doesn’t seem to be an equivalent deal for other countries at the moment, unfortunately.
Few games franchises are as iconic as the Tomb Raider one and if you’ve missed out on any of Lara Croft’s exploits so far then the Steam summer sale is the perfect chance to plug those gaps.
Discounts vary between 60% and 80% across the 13 games included in the offer: you can pick up Rise of the Tomb Raider for a 60% discount, for example, and Tomb Raider: Underworld for a whopping 80% off. It’s tempting to just spend the whole summer in Lara’s company.
If, by some small miracle, you’re a PC gamer that’s yet to try any of Valve’s homegrown titles, here’s your chance to grab every single one of them for less than the price of a cinema ticket.
The Valve Complete Pack is a staggering 91% off its usual asking price, and includes all the Half-Life games and episodes, every Portal game, every Left 4 Dead game, a bunch of DLC and much, much more. It’s an instant library filler for those that may be new to PC gaming, or a great way to catch up for the rest of us.
First off, don’t expect brand new games to get the deep discounts that have become synonymous with the Steam sales. You may see a 5%, or even 10% discount on games that have been recent big hits, but if they’re still new enough to be spinning money without needing a price cut, don’t expect that to change now that the sale is here.
But, with the exception of the newer titles, pretty much the entire store receives a 25% discount, if not higher. Some hit the heady heights of 90% off the list price. While the store now highlights what Valve considers the best deals, it’s worth noting that flash and community sales are no longer in the mix, so feel free to pick a title on sale when you like – its discounted price will stand for the duration of the sale.
Whichever way you approach the Steam Summer Sale (or the Winter holiday sale, or any other Steam deal-a-thon for that matter) , you’re guaranteed to pick up something great at a good price.
But, there are a few techniques and tricks worth using to get the most out of the sale.
Of course, Other Gaming Stores Do Exist™, and it’s worth checking their wares too to see if you can’t bag an even bigger bargain elsewhere. GOG.com is a great place to start, and if you’re platform agnostic and looking for multi-platform titles, keep an eye on the PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Deals with Gold offers, too. There’s a reasonable chance that the odd game may turn up at one spot or the other at a slightly more affordable price and it’s always worth looking for a few titles during Black Friday for some pre-Christmas bargains.
