Steam's best games are getting cheaper

It seems like everywhere you look in the games industry, things are getting more expensive. I remember a time when consoles got cheaper as they got older, but now you have Microsoft eyeing a possible third price hike for the Xbox Series X in less than 12 months. When you take this into account, it makes sense that gamers start looking for cheaper options to keep their favorite hobby alive.

This could be a possible reason why we're starting to see an interesting trend when it comes to the prices of Steam's best-selling games. In a new research analysis newsletter by The GameDiscoverCo (thanks GamesRadar), first month sales of the top 50 new, non-free-to-play Steam releases since February 2023 have been investigated, showing that the average price of a Steam bestseller has remained fairly stable.

Steam's best games are getting cheaper

However, the median value gives us a more interesting trend. According to this research, the average list price of Steam bestsellers has dropped by a whopping 20 percent over the same time period. That could mean a few things, but the most important is that it's pretty solid evidence that there's been a “significant increase in cheap titles” on Steam over the past couple of years.

Spongebob opening his wallet with Hornet from Hollow Knight: Silksong in the background.

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I actually can't believe how cheap Hollow Knight: Silksong will be

Players would happily pay more for the most anticipated game of the year.

If you really think back to all the games that have exploded in popularity over the past few years it's not too surprising. This year alone, we've seen Hollow Knight: Silksong break storefronts, priced at just $20, while the father of the “friendslop” genre, Peak, costs more than £6. Content Alert, Rusty's Retirement, and Buckshot Roulette were all named as major contributors to results by the report, all of which launched in March 2024 for less than $10.

This report also points out that these cheaper titles are mostly $60 – $70 blockbusters that have brand power, and with a few exceptions like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, everything between the $20 – $50 bracket is in a poor position. It has also been argued that they can charge more than $25 for indie games. Can't compare to dirt cheap titles like Peak that have already delivered memorable experiences.

It's an interesting little look at recent pricing trends, and how the rising cost of living has affected our gaming spending habits. It also goes to show how well the game industry can adapt to trying times, and if more companies want to find success with their games, they should start by lowering the prices they're charging.