Launched back in 2003, Steam is the world’s leading video game digital distribution service, listing over 50,000 titles ranging from AAAs to indies. As well as playing games, Steam allows users to review titles, earn achievements, chat with friends, and make their own workshop games. Although Steam regularly offers seasonal sales, free trails, and other discounts on the majority of their listing, games can still be pretty pricey. Luckily, there’s an easy way to save even more money when purchasing games through Steam!
Steam, as with many other online services, vary their libraries between regions and generally list games at a lower cost in certain locations. This usually depends on the country’s economy and means that Steam users around the world are being shown different prices for each game. To access Steam’s games at a lower cost, you need to spoof your location using a VPN. This allows you to trick the service into thinking you’re located in another region, so it will display you prices that are specific to this region. Sounds too good to be true? Keep reading to discover how to save money on Steam games using a VPN in 2022!
How to buy Steam games cheaper using a VPN quick guide
Haven’t got much time? Follow this simple step-by-step guide to find out how to save money when buying video games through Steam!
- Choose a VPN
The best VPNs for saving money when purchasing Steam games will have a large server network, a no-logs policy, and gold-standard security measures. Check out below to see our top recommended VPNs!
- Install app/client
Next, install the VPN’s app or client on any device you want to download and play Steam games from. After installation, open up the app/client to see a list of available servers.
- Connect to a server
Select and connect to a server that’s located in a country where you want to buy Steam games from. After connecting, your IP address will be concealed and replaced by the servers.
- Head to Stream
You’ll now appear to be located wherever the VPN server is based, so you can head to the Steam app or websites and you’ll see games and prices that are tailored to that specific region. Now, you can purchase, download, and play games at a significantly lower cost!
Top tip – If your Steam library doesn’t change to a different region after connecting to a server. Then try clearing your browser’s cache and reconnecting to an alternative server!
Try out NordVPN* for Steam now!
Why you need a VPN to save money on Steam games
Put simply, if you want to save money with Steam game purchases or access games that are unavailable in your country then you need to spoof your location. This is because Steam, like most services (including streaming services such as Netflix), varies its library and prices between different regions.
Steam will use each user’s IP address to determine their location and automatically display them with prices and libraries that are specific to their region. For example, some games are only available in certain countries, so they will not be displayed to users who live elsewhere. Similarly, Steam will alter its prices between countries, based on factors such as the state of the country’s economy. If you live in a country that is considered high-income then the price of games on Steam will likely be significantly higher for you compared to a Steam user who is located in a low-income country. You can take a look at this Steam regional price checker to see how much prices vary between different locations.
Since Steam uses your IP address to enforce this geo-blocking and price variation between countries, you need to hide your IP using a VPN. When you download and install a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your device, you’ll see a list of available servers that are based in different countries all around the world. After you connect to one of these servers, your internet traffic is rerouted through the server before it reaches its destination. As this happens, your real IP address is hidden whilst the server’s IP temporarily takes its place.
This means that every app or website you visit (including Steam) will think you’re accessing it from wherever the VPN server is based. For example, if you live in Europe but you connect to a VPN server that’s based in the US, then you’ll appear to have a US IP address. If you then open the Steam app or website, you’ll automatically be displayed with the US-specific game library and prices. So, you can use the Steam regional price checker we linked above to see which region has a game listed the cheapest, then simply connect to a VPN server that’s based in that region. This trick is incredibly simple and allows you to access otherwise unavailable titles and save tons of money when making purchases through Steam!
Our top recommended best VPNs for saving money on Steam games in 2022
The best VPNs for saving money on Steam games will, most importantly, have a large server network consisting of thousands of servers based in countries all around the world. This will give you plenty of choices to check out the varying prices between different regions. Additionally, your chosen VPN should have super-fast speeds, so you can quickly download titles and play online games without any lag!
Other crucial features you need to stay safe and private when online include a no-logs policy, a kill switch, and obfuscated servers! With this in mind, we’ve narrowed down all the most popular providers to find the three best VPNs for saving money when purchasing Steam games. Let’s check them out –
- NordVPN
NordVPN is a fantastic all-around VPN that provides terrific performance and outstanding speeds packed in a user-friendly app. If you want to effortlessly switch between servers to save money on Steam purchases and enjoy fast speeds when downloading games, then NordVPN is your best bet.
With NordVPN, you can choose from over 5400 servers across 60 countries, giving you plenty of opportunities to switch between different regions on Steam. As these servers can guarantee lightning-fast connection speeds, you can download even massive AAA games in record time. Additionally, NordVPN uses obfuscated servers that can conceal your VPN usage from your ISP. This is especially important as it prevents you from having your bandwidth throttled when using the VPN.
As well as offering amazing performance, NordVPN also offers top-notch security for all users, keeping them safe from nasty cyber attacks and other online threats. With this VPN, your traffic is secured by military-grade AES 256-bit encryption along with the choice between three highly secure VPN protocols – IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, and NordLynx. Other security features you can benefit from when using this VPN include a kill switch, MFA, dedicated IP, split tunnelling support, double VPN protection, and built-in threat protection.
NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited, so you can have peace of mind knowing your sensitive information is not being monitored or shared. You can download the app now on any Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, or Linux device as well as most Smart TVs, routers, and gaming consoles. Users are allowed up to 6 simultaneous connections and there is unlimited bandwidth, so you can download as many games as you want when saving money through Steam!
Try out NordVPN* for saving money on Steam games for free for 30 days with their money-back guarantee!
- Surfshark
Surfshark is an affordable VPN service that offers all the necessary features you need to bypass geo-blocking and save money when buying Steam games. If you’re on a tight budget but still want to enjoy the benefits of a trustworthy and reliable VPN, then look no further than Surfshark.
There are more than 3200 Surfshark servers to choose from in over 65 countries. All of these servers provide impressive connection speeds, so you won’t have to deal with slow downloads or lag when gaming. These servers are all RAM-only and are regularly updated to ensure that no user data is at risk of being compromised. Surfshark has a no-logs policy that has also been independently audited, meaning you can trust the VPN not to log or share your personal information.
You’ll be completely safe from common cyberattacks thanks to Surfshark’s military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. Additionally, the VPN lets you choose from three of the most trusted VPN protocols – WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. That’s not all though, as Surfshark also provides you with other features that are necessary to keep you safe when online including private DNS with leak protection, a kill switch, obfuscation, a NoBorders mode, and a built-in ad blocker (CleanWeb).
Surfshark is supported by all major operating systems including Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux in addition to routers, Smart TVs (Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung TV), and gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation.) This VPN generously allows for unlimited simultaneous connections and has no bandwidth caps, so you and your entire household can enjoy saving money on Steam games with all your favourite devices!
Try out Surfshark* for saving money on Steam games for free for 30 days with their money-back guarantee!
- ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a robust and reliable VPN that ensures you are as safe as possible when online. Not only this, ExpressVPN also provides ultra-fast speeds, allowing you to quickly download even the largest games through Steam. If you want to save money on Steam purchases but are concerned about your online security, then this VPN is likely best suited to you.
With this VPN, you can choose from thousands of servers that are based in 94 countries and 160 different locations. As we’ve already mentioned, ExpressVPN offers highly competitive speeds, however, this VPN goes a step further by providing all of its users with a built-in speed checking tool. This tool organises all servers by latency, download speed, and speed, so you can ensure that you’re connected to the fastest VPN server at all times. This means that you can stay connected to a VPN server when downloading and even playing games through Steam as you won’t have to worry about lag or other disruptions.
As with the other providers we’ve mentioned, ExpressVPN protects its users with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. Additionally, this VPN uses its own VPN protocol, Lightway, which has been designed to make all the VPN experience faster, more secure, and more reliable than ever. Other security features you can benefit from when using ExpressVPN include split tunnelling support, a kill switch, private DNS, and a built-in threat manager.
ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy, so the provider won’t be collecting any sensitive information such as activity logs and connection logs. The ExpressVPN app/client is available on any Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux device in addition to most consoles, Smart TVs, and routers. All users have unlimited bandwidth and can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously.
Try out ExpressVPN* for saving money on Steam games for free for 30 days with their money-back guarantee!