Can You Sell Unwanted Games on Steam?
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To answer the question directly, you cannot sell unwanted games on Steam as the platform’s policy treats game purchases as a “renting for life” agreement, where the game is tied to your account and cannot be transferred or sold. This means that once a game is in your account, it is completely stuck there unless you refund it within 2 weeks of purchasing and have less than 2 hours of playtime.
Understanding Steam’s Policy
The reason behind this policy is to prevent the resale of games and maintain control over the distribution of content on the platform. While you cannot sell unwanted games, you can request a refund within the specified timeframe or trade items such as in-game items and Steam Gifts.
Refunding and Trading on Steam
If you’re looking to get rid of an unwanted game, you can try to refund it if you meet the requirements. Alternatively, you can trade items with other users on the Steam Community Market. To do this, you’ll need to navigate to the Community tab, click on Market, and then select the item you want to sell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions that provide additional information on selling unwanted games on Steam:
- What can I sell on Steam?: You can sell Steam items, in-game items, and extra copies of games (referred to as Steam Gifts) on the Steam Community Market.
- How do I sell items on the Steam Community Market?: To sell items, navigate to Community > Market, click Sell an Item, select the item you want to sell, and enter the price you’re willing to accept.
- Can I sell my Steam games?: No, you cannot sell Steam games as they are tied to your account and cannot be transferred or sold.
- What happens if I try to sell a game on Steam?: If you try to sell a game on Steam, you may get your account banned as it is against the platform’s Terms of Service.
- Can I refund old Steam games I never played?: Yes, you can request a refund for any title that is requested within 14 days of purchase and has been played for less than 2 hours.
- How much does Steam charge to sell a game?: Steam takes a 30% commission on every sale made on the platform, which means you’ll make 70% of every sale.
- Can I copy a game and sell it?: No, you may only copy, modify, distribute, license, or sell the content if you are granted explicit permission within the End-User License Agreement (EULA) or license terms.
- How do I get rid of unwanted Steam games?: You can try to refund the game if you meet the requirements or trade items on the Steam Community Market.
- Can I sell my game online?: Yes, you can sell your game online by creating a website and posting regular updates on social media platforms or listing it on online marketplaces such as Steam and the App Store.
- What is the highest-grossing video game of all time?: The highest-grossing video game of all time is Dungeon Fighter Online, a beat ’em up that has grossed $22 billion worldwide.
- Does Steam take 30% of game sales?: Yes, Steam takes a 30% cut from game sales, which is calculated before taxes.
- Can you get banned for selling Steam account?: Yes, selling a Steam account is against the platform’s Terms of Service and can result in a permanent ban.
- How much is Steam worth?: Valve, the company behind Steam, was valued at $7.7 billion in May 2022.
- What can get you banned on Steam?: Piracy, hacking, payment fraud, and account theft are some of the activities that can get you banned on Steam.
- Is it legal to buy Steam key from third-party sellers?: While it’s not illegal, buying Steam keys from third-party sellers is against Steam’s Terms of Service and may result in region-locked keys or other issues.