Steam Sale Dates 2023: Getting the Best Bang for Your Steam Buck

We simultaneously dread and love the upcoming Steam sale dates since it's hard to resist all those good deals that come with them.

So if you are ready to curate the best game library out there, get your wallet ready, and check out the upcoming Steam sales below!

Let’s have a look!

When Is the Next Steam Sale in 2022?

Currently, we are eagerly anticipating the Winter Steam Sale on December 22nd, 2022 at 10am Pacific time, which will last until January 5th.

You can expect everything from triple-A titles to indie gems at ridiculously discounted prices and be sure to stock up for the time being.

source: steamcommunity.com

You can add your favorite games and experiences to your wishlist so that Steam notifies you the minute they go on sale.

Here’s a list of all other exciting Steam sales in 2022 and beyond:

*events marked in bold are the major seasonal sales

Types of Steam Sales

Aside from the regular big four: Spring (replacing the Lunar New Year Sale from 2023 onwards), Summer, Autumn, and Winter sales, which offer the most and biggest discounts, the Steam sale schedule includes other types of promotional events during its off-months:

• Steam Next Fests—previously known as Steam Festivals, these events do not typically offer discounted games but rather a chance to try out hundreds of demos of upcoming games, have a chat with the devs, and watch informative livestreams;
• Genre-themed sales—while these smaller events do not come with the wide selection of seasonal sales, you can still find a good deal on specific genres, like the plethora of discounts on horror titles offered during the upcoming Halloween week.

To avoid making a purchase that will only clutter your Library and the eventual Steam refund procedure, you can try out all upcoming games that interest you during the Steam Next Fests, then add them to your Wishlist and wait to get them during the next big sale.

The 2022 Steam Sales Calendar

Before looking at the next Steam sale in 2022, let’s review what Valve had in store for us throughout the year to get a sense of what we can expect in 2023:

*events marked in bold are the major seasonal sales

How Often Are Steam Sales Happening?

We bet you had no idea there are so many sale events in a single year, right?

Taking into account the remaining four Steam sale dates, 2022 will conclude with a total of 16 promotional events, which adds up to 1.3 sales per month, and with at least one event for each month except April, which may also get an event in 2023.

All in all, you have to be on the lookout for the four big seasonal sales, especially the Summer and Winter Sales, as they offer the most and last the longest, three Steam Next Fests, and around ten genre- or theme-specific promotional weeks.

Note that games get cheaper with each subsequent sales event, and if you are looking to play a certain title you’ve been eyeing for a while, you might have to wait up to a year to get it with a good discount, which might add up to 90% in some cases.

For instance, if you want to get the biggest 2022 titles at a good discount, you will most likely have to wait until the 2023 Autumn and Winter Sales.

Alternatively, there is a better chance to see some indie titles and hidden gems like Trombone Champ, be featured in this year's Autumn and Winter Sales, so make sure to keep an eye on those!

How Long Do Steam Sales Last?

Most of the events listed above, including the next Steam sale (Scream Fest), run for a week. However, the Summer and the Winter Sale last twice as long to give gamers ample opportunity to purchase and play their favorite titles during their seasonal breaks.

However, if you are only looking for the next big sale on Steam, you might miss on other shorter promotions occasionally offered by the game developers, such as:

• Free Weekends—paired with actual discounts, these promotions grant you temporary access to specific games that typically lasts for up to 96 hours;
• Weekend Deals—these deals are similar in length to the free weekends, but they do not offer you the option to try out the game before purchasing it;
• Midweek Madness—throughout regular weekdays, you can often find various midweek madness deals featured on the Steam homepage;
• Daily Deals—you may also encounter brief yet excellent 24-hour deals that are very easy to miss unless you are on the lookout.

To find these special offers, navigate to the ‘Store’ tab in your Steam client or from the web and click on the ‘Specials’ category, found at the left-hand side of the main window.

Top 5 Steam Sales Tips

Before looking for your next big Steam sale, you should set a budget to avoid overspending and, naturally, ensure your system supports the games you want to play.

To get the most out of Steam’s sale events, consider the following tips and tricks as well:

1. Use Your Wishlist

With so many title discounts happening at once on Steam, the next big sale may be hidden among the various daily, weekly, and theme-specific promotions.

Therefore, to avoid missing out on good deals, you should immediately add any title that interests you to your Wishlist. That way, you can avoid impulsive splurging as you focus on buying games you have researched and added to your list.

This amazing feature will not only keep a list of the titles you want to play but will also inform you when they go on sale by email and/or app notifications.

2. Wait For Another Sale

If you miss out on buying a wishlisted game during a sale, you can always wait for Steam’s next big sale to get the title instead of spending your money on something else.

By doing so, you would pay less than you would have during past sale events since prices continue to decline, and you may even get to play the game with upgraded hardware.

Ultimately, if you tire of waiting but the game is yet to go on sale, check out the catalogs of 2022’s best cloud gaming services, as you may find it there at a minimal subscription fee.

3. Save With Publisher Bundles

Publishers often bundle together titles in the same series at a huge discount. For instance, if you are interested in playing one or more Hitman or Dark Souls games, you will most likely find a bundle including all or most titles at a promotional cost of a single new release.

4. Buy the Standard Edition

Unlike more expensive Delux/Ultimate/Gold editions, the base game versions come with the bulk of playable content, which is more than enough to satisfy your gaming craze.

In any case, premium editions usually do not offer a better-quality gaming experience. For instance, you can get the Modern Warfare II Vault Edition on Steam at a price of $99.99 ($30 more expensive than the Standard edition), but you only get additional cosmetics.

However, one exception to this rule that will save you money is if any ‘Special’ edition comes with the game’s ‘Season Pass’ that will unlock future DLCs and expansions, which are more expensive if bought as a standalone package down the line.

5. Choose Games That You Plan to Play

Since Steam has one of the largest game libraries around, customers tend to impulsively buy any cheap game they see during its sale promotions, which adds up to a hefty sum once they get several titles despite their $2 or $3 price.

Then, they find out they don’t have the time to play these titles, or they are not really interested in them, so they just take up room in their digital libraries.

To reduce your expenses and avoid the guilt of wastefully spending money on something you will not use, ignore every low-price offer other than the games on your wishlist.

Wrapping Up

Now that you have the next Steam sales dates, save them in your calendar, and set up a reminder, so you don’t miss all the best discounts. In the meantime, you can get yourself and your machine ready to play that game you’ve been looking forward to for a while.