Find out how Steam works . Here is a complete guide on everything you need to know about the best online gaming platform.
PC gaming enthusiasts are aware that every year they can count on discounts and promotions thanks to the most famous platforms. Among the most known, appreciated and used services in the world there is certainly Steam , a platform that has dedicated software and a proprietary store in which to buy digital game keys, such as Instant Gaming , for personal computers or the Steam Deck.
Maybe you’ve only heard of it, but you’ve never approached this service, in the next few lines we will understand how to sign up, how to buy and install games on Steam. We advise you to be patient since it is a platform that is particularly attentive to user safety, therefore, you will have to enter control codes several times.
To get a better use of this guide, you can also read the articles on how to download PC games and the best site to download PC games .
Index
- What Steam is and how it works
- How to create a Steam account
- How to buy and install a game
- How to put money on Steam
- How to request a refund on Steam
- How to redeem code on Steam
- How to share games on Steam
- How to change emails on Steam
- Contacting Steam Support If You Have Problems
- How safe is steam
What Steam is and how it works
Steam is not just a digital store where you can find titles for your personal computer, but it extends to a real system where gamers can inform themselves, share information, reviews and start video games.
The operation is extremely intuitive, you will have to create a user account and use the software of the online platform on your computer, so that there is a correlation between your purchases and of course the titles that will have to start from that account.
By installing the software you will be able to access the main dashboard, where you can manage your account, game settings and purchase the desired titles. Inside the software is the library of all the video games you have purchased over time on Steam, providing you with a quick tool to have fun with. But now let’s see how to register and start using the service.
How to create a Steam account
Creating a profile on Steam is completely free, you will not have to pay any registration fee, the platform needs a payment only when you buy a game.
The first step in creating a Steam account is to connect to the main Internet page and click on the Sign in option . If you already have a profile, just enter your username or e-mail and password ; but if you don’t have one, you should click Join Steam . Enter your e-mail and select the country of reference and solve the Captcha that will come out on the screen.
Give your consent that you are at least 13 years old and finish the guided registration. The online store will send you a confirmation email with an alphanumeric code, enter it in the link they will attach to you and you will be officially on the platform.
Once you are logged in you will be able to take a look at the online store and some functions, but not all. To access the full software you will need to download it.
In order for you to download the program, return to the official Steam page and click on Install Steam , located next to Login . You will be able to choose both the installation file for Windows and for macOS operating systems. Once the download is complete, you will need to install the software and log in with the registration data you made shortly before. Now you will have all the functions and the library of games to view and install.
Steam is also available as an app for Android and iOS mobile devices .
How to buy and install a game
However, creating an account and installing the Steam software is not enough to play, you should also buy a video game and install it later, but how to do it?
Start the software installed on your operating system and open the Shop section , here will be all the games available on Steam, whether they can be purchased or not.
The Shop section will offer the titles of the moment, but you can expand the search both by Categories and through the dedicated search bar. If by any chance you had the desire to buy Tekken 7 after seeing the new trailer, then you could type the name of the game , in the Search field, and the different versions available will appear.
Choose the one you want by clicking on the game image, the tab with all the information will open. Steam, unless you decide to delete this feature from the settings, will show you the game trailer and below some items for purchase.
To buy the video game click on Add to Cart and choose between the Purchase for me or Purchase as a gift option , to give a game on Steam.
At this point Steam will ask you to enter the payment method, you can use either an external method, such as a debit or credit card; both internal, with the Steam digital wallet.
Once the purchase is completed, you will have the game available in the Library , located in the top menu. To start the installation, right click on it and select Install . The software will download and install the selected video game. You can also download multiple games at the same time, Steam will automatically queue them.
How to put money on Steam
We have anticipated that you can pay for games on the Steam store both with traditional payment circuits and with credits already present in the platform’s wallet . Just like a piggy bank, the Steam wallet can be useful for you to top up some money and then use it whenever you want. But why use credits instead of a traditional payment method? In many cases there are special offers only for those who already have money in the virtual wallet.
To insert money into your Steam wallet you need to enter your profile and click on View your wallet . Immediately after, in the Add funds to your Steam wallet section, just click on Add funds and choose how much to top up: € 5, € 10, € 25, € 50, € 100.
You cannot pay particular values, but only fixed blocks ranging from 5 euros to 100 euros. However, you can make more consecutive top-ups as long as you want. The platform will ask you to make the payment using the most popular methods, VISA, MasterCard, PayPal on all, so equip yourself with the data before starting.
How to request a refund on Steam
One of the reasons that made Steam a hugely popular platform among PC gamers is its returns plan . In fact, with this site you can try the game up to 119 minutes and then request a refund without any problem. As you can imagine this is a real plus as you may want to try a game, but then find yourself a completely unsatisfactory product in your hands.
But how to initiate a refund on the online store? To do this you need a direct contact with the assistance , speed up the search by clicking on this page . Log in with your account and then click on Purchases . Find the purchase you want to be refunded for and click on it. If your purchase is not listed, it falls too far outside the refund period and cannot be refunded.
Select the problem you are having with the product. Click on the item Request a refund , then choosing whether to receive it on your card or directly on the Steam digital wallet. Fill out and submit the application form.
Click on the drop-down menu to select the Steam Wallet or the original payment method. At this point you should receive an email confirming that your request has been sent successfully.
How to redeem code on Steam
You will need to redeem a Steam code several times, due to the fact that you may find Game Keys at a cheaper price on another platform. Once you have obtained the key, to activate it on the store you have to start the software on your PC and log into your account, you will find the Add a game option , at the bottom left.
Select Activate a product on Steam and click Next and the Accept option . At this point, enter the code you have available and redeem it. If the code is valid, the store will send you a positive notification, and will insert the game directly into your library of purchased titles.
As before, you can now start the download and then the installation. If you are unable to redeem the key, contact the support of the platform that sold you the key first and then that of Steam.
How to share games on Steam
To share your games, start the store software and, after logging in, press the Big Picture Mode icon at the top right , next to your account name. Once you are in Big Picture mode, click on Settings (gear icon)> Family Library Sharing and on the next page select the users you want to share the Library with . Guests and family members will be able to play the games by saving their game progress in the Steam Cloud and earning their own achievements.
How to change emails on Steam
To change the email address associated with Steam you must:
- Open the Steam client and click on the Steam> Settings menu at the top.
- Within a tab you have to click on Account and select the Change email address button.
- Specify how you want to change the email address, whether by receiving a verification code or otherwise.
- The assistance will send you a verification code by e-mail, to be entered on the screen.
- Go back to Steam and after entering the code, change the email address in the appropriate field.
Contacting Steam Support If You Have Problems
As already explained in the chapter on how to request a refund on Steam, to contact support you can connect to this page and browse through the various types of request. Reports cover: Steam Guard purchases, games, Steam Guard authentications, Steam account, Steam client, hardware, and the Steam community.
There is also a search field where you can refine your needs to find more information.
How safe is steam
Steam is a digital video game store platform where users risk nothing. This is because Steam is safe and reliable in terms of payments, privacy and refund policies.
The minimum age to use Steam is 13, below that age it would be preferable not to use it. This is because the platform’s community and chat provides voice and text messages, and malicious actors could easily lure minors. That’s why the game platform has seen fit to introduce the Parental Control that you can activate by going to the Big Picture Mode icon , at the top next to your account name, > Settings> Family View .
On this page you can limit access to some features you have chosen by checking the Use family view item. When you enter the version of Steam that is not protected by parental controls, you will need to set a PIN code .
Next specify the online content and features that your account should access: Steam Store , Community Generated Content , Friends , Chats and Groups , My Online Profile . Press Next , enter the email to retrieve the Family View PIN , in case it gets lost, and complete everything.
