Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Gabe Newell in a white shirt
Games "Gabe cannot buy yachts with wishlists": Steam expert begs devs to make the most of their hit games
We Gotta Go characters holding lanterns
Games Steam's new "golden age" is special because so many genres are popping off at once, expert says
Steam logo from Valve
Games New Steam update finally addresses huge disparity in regional prices "to help developers price games in 35 currencies
Raccoin raccoon crying tears of joy
Games "That is an $11,000 gold texture": Steam researcher says "supporter packs" make a lot of free money
Best PC games: Screenshots of Baldur's Gate 3, Helldivers 2, Split Fiction and the Resident Evil 4 Remake
PC Gaming The 25 best PC games to play in 2026
Steam sale: a screenshot of a collection games in a Steam library
Games Steam Sale dates 2026: When is the next Steam sale?
Best free Steam games - Doom Eternal image showing a large armored enemy with a gun for an arm
Action Games 25 Best free Steam games you can play in 2026
Astarian looking pensive with his hand resting on his chin in Baldur's Gate 3
Games The 25 best Steam games to play in 2026
A screenshot of the Steam Spring sale 2026 banner, featuring a blue dragon and a cartoon chicken pulling on its tail.
Games Here's the 10 best Steam Spring Sale games I recommend picking up so far
Gabe Newell photo
Games A clip of Valve's Gabe Newell nailing the piracy issue is making the rounds online and only feels more relevant today
Team Fortress 2 Scout in a hat and headset smiling
Games PC gamers and Steam customers are "a really bright spot" as the games industry struggles with prices, analyst says
Steam Deck review
Games The best Steam Deck games worth playing in 2026
Steam Next Fest 2026 banner for February 23 - March 2 at 10am Pacific
Games Steam Next Fest 2026 and beyond: all the dates, details, and everything else you need to know
Hades 2 protagonist Melinoe, a woman with pale grey skin, short blonde hair, and red/green eyes
PC Gaming The best games to play on a laptop in 2026
Team Fortress 2 meet the spy trailer screenshot of medic
Games A terrifying 20,282 games were released on Steam in 2025, and just 608 managed to get 1,000 reviews, expert finds
  1. Games
  2. Action

21 little things that annoy us about Steam sales

Features
By Lucas Sullivan published 28 June 2017

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Summer is officially here. It's not the singing birds in the trees that's alerted us to the fact, nor the blistering heat, nor even the fact that at last the chime of the ice-cream truck is like a beacon of hope. No, it's the fact that the Steam Summer Sale has begun. Ignore that wailing coming from your bank account, as you've probably already delved into the bargains on offer. Yet despite the dizzying amount of money this wondrous time of the year will save you, there are a few things that we can't quite see past when it comes to Steam sales. Try telling us that not one of these has ever annoyed you before. 

Being incredibly excited to buy a game before discovering that you already own (and installed) it

Remembering that you did the same thing, with the same game, during the last Steam sale

Realizing you now own more games than any normal human being can play in a single lifetime

When you get faked out because the price reduction isn't actually displaying (and yes, this pretty much only happens because we're zealously refreshing the page)

Thinking about how much money Gabe Newell just made in the past 30 seconds

Waiting on this screen...

...only to land here

When you can't download your new purchase because Valve's servers are getting absolutely hammered

Thinking, if only for a moment, about how much money these developers would've been making if everyone was actually paying full price for their game

When you see the same game on sale for the 50th freaking time

(Really though, every person on Steam either owns Terraria or they don't intend to; stop slashing the price)

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
  • 1
  • 2

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
PRODUCTS
DayZ Dark Souls
Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan
Social Links Navigation

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them. 

Read more
Steam sale: a screenshot of a collection games in a Steam library
Games Steam Sale dates 2026: When is the next Steam sale?
 
 
A screenshot of the Steam Spring sale 2026 banner, featuring a blue dragon and a cartoon chicken pulling on its tail.
Games Here's the 10 best Steam Spring Sale games I recommend picking up so far
 
 
Gabe Newell in a white shirt
Games "Gabe cannot buy yachts with wishlists": Steam expert begs devs to make the most of their hit games
 
 
Team Fortress 2 Scout in a hat and headset smiling
Games PC gamers and Steam customers are "a really bright spot" as the games industry struggles with prices, analyst says
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
RPGs Valve just revealed the Steam sales and events for the rest of 2026
 
 
Raccoin raccoon crying tears of joy
Games "That is an $11,000 gold texture": Steam researcher says "supporter packs" make a lot of free money
 
 
Latest in Action
Diana's eyes glow with digital energy in Pragmata
Action Games Capcom finally confirms the theory that Pragmata is a stealth Mega Man game, just don't look at today's date
 
 
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 marketing isn't starting until summer, but fans think we might get Trailer 3 early regardless
 
 
GTA 4
Grand Theft Auto GTA 4 cut content restored after 18 years in playable Xbox 360 pre-release build
 
 
Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda Zelda: Ocarina of Time fans share hopes for its rumored remake: "Swing for the fences"
 
 
GTA 4
Grand Theft Auto Former Rockstar lead debunks GTA 4 zombies rumor as "probably an experiment that didn't work out"
 
 
GTA 6 trailer 2
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 maker Rockstar looks at "creative constraints" and says "go nuts," says ex-GTA 5 audio dev
 
 
Latest in Features
PS5 Pro and PS5 original console on a wooden table
Peripherals Console gaming on a VPN: what works on PS5/Xbox Series X
 
 
A haughty-looking man in robes gazes down at the viewer while standing against a colorful background
Tabletop Gaming MTG Secrets of Strixhaven finally fixes a problem I've had with Magic for years
 
 
Marathon Triage runner
FPS Games Yes, Marathon is hard – but that is liberating
 
 
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Animated Movies The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Easter eggs: All the Nintendo references and cameos you may have missed
 
 
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Final Fantasy 14 lost me with Dawntrail, but The Elder Scrolls Online promises to mend my broken heart
 
 
A side-by-side image of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and the Asus ROG Raikiri 2
Gaming Controllers These are the fastest two Xbox controllers on the shelves right now, but which should you buy?
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
    1
    Illumination CEO says the "secret" to success of the Super Mario movies is working directly with Miyamoto and Nintendo
  2. 2
    Crimson Desert is "opposite" to most open-world games because the "magic kicks in" later, says Arkane Lyon boss
  3. 3
    Karl Urban says The Boys season 5 is "The Boys at its best" heading into the series finale
  4. 4
    Arc Raiders boss promoted to Nexon chief backs AI push for "redesigning game development"
  5. 5
    Nintendo's Pokemon battling claim is too "obvious" to stand, US patent office says

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...