PC Gamers Upset by Steam’s Decision to Discontinue Player Reimbursements

Getting a refund for a game? Yes, but…

In many ways, Steam is the ideal platform for gaming. It does not suffer from generational changes in home consoles, very regularly offers discounts, has titles even going back to the 90s and Valve can pride itself on providing some very popular features. For example, the possibility of being reimbursed for purchased software, as long as you do not exceed two hours of play.

For comparison, on PlayStation 5, the possibility of playing the first two hours of a title is only available via PlayStation Plus Premium, the most expensive subscription offer, and only concerns a few works. Steam therefore has a real advantage here, but the conditions will be changed soon: if you have played a game for more than two hours before its release…you will no longer be able to be reimbursed.

… pay attention to the release date

To put it simply, until now, you could play a game before its release – via early access or through the purchase of certain premium editions, for example – on Steam quite freely. To get a refund for a game, you just had to play it less than two hours after its release date.

This rule will therefore change: even before the release date, so via early access for example, playing a pre-purchased game for more than two hours will remove the possibility of a refund. Here are exactly the official conditions from Valve:

When you purchase a title on Steam before the release date, the two-hour gameplay limit for refunds applies, but the 14-day period for refunds will not begin until the release date. For example, if you purchase a game in Early Access or Advanced Access, any play time will count toward the two-hour refund limit. If you pre-purchase a title that is not playable before the release date, you can request a refund at any time before that title's release, and the standard 14 day/two hour refund period will apply from the release date of the game.

Note that thes beta tests and demos are not affected here. In short, it will no longer be possible to play a bunch of hours via early access for a video game – which can sometimes last for years! – to finally get reimbursed upon release. You have been warned.

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