Gaming is the biggest entertainment medium, and it’s never too late to join. Because PC is perhaps the best place to start, we’re covering how to open a Steam account.
Steam is the largest PC games storefront available. It has many free and paid games, DLCs, editions, and gaming-related software. Moreover, discounts are common, wide, and fat compared to console stores.
On top of that, it has a smooth launcher where you can buy, download, install and launch the games. Similarly, the launcher has many community features like searching for tutorials, adding mods, adding friends, gifting games to friends, and more.
How to Open a Steam Account?
You can open a Steam account on the site’s webpage, and the only thing you need is an email account.
Here’re the steps to open a Steam account:
- Log-in on Steam’s website:
You can start by going to the Steam Store page and clicking on log-in at the top right. - Join Steam:
Click on “Join Steam” to create a new account on the next screen. - Type email:
Type your email and country of residence. We advise opening Steam without a VPN. Valve’s store can ban your account if they catch you using third-party software. Luckily, Steam works perfectly well worldwide.
Either way, after you input your information, complete the captcha and click continue. - Confirm email:
After the captcha, Steam will ask you to confirm your email. Check your inbox for a Steam email, and click on verify. - Select a username and a password:
After confirming the captcha, Steam will allow you to choose a username and a password. Click on “Done” after you finish. - Install the Steam app:
To download the Steam app, click on “Install Steam” at the top right of the web page. Then, click on the next page to confirm the download.
Let the software download and click the “.exe” file to install it. After the installation, it will ask for your username and password to initiate. - Open the Steam app
Open the app after the installation. - Log-in to the app
Finally, input your credentials on the app, and enjoy. Remember, the username is the Steam Account name you choose on step 5.
FAQs
What Operating Systems Can Use Steam?
Steam is available for Windows and macOS. It’s also available for SteamOS handheld devices, which run on a Linux-based operating system.
Are There Any Monthly Charges on Steam?
Downloading, installing, and running Steam is free. The platform only charges on purchases.
Can I Purchase on Steam With My Credit Cards?
Steam has plenty of payment methods, but they depend on the country where you reside.
Globally, though, these are the payment methods you can expect:
- PayPal.
- Visa.
- MasterCard.
- American Express.
- Discover.
- JCB.
You can type your credentials by going to “Account Details” and clicking on “Add a Payment Method.” That way, Steam will know how to pay whenever you make a purchase.
Can I Gift a Game to Someone Who’s Not on Steam?
No. But the gifter and the receiver need a Steam account to receive and send a game as a present.
Can I Launch Non Steam Games on Steam?
Yes, Steam can work as the launcher for every game installed on your PC. It can even work for games you downloaded from Epic Games and Origins.
To add non-Steam games to your library, click on Games at the top. Then, select Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
Steam will display a list with all of your apps. You have to select which games you want to include in the launcher.
After clicking “Add Selected Program,” Steam will add the game into your library.
Bear in mind Steam will only launch the games. It won’t update the titles or offer any of the community features of the platform.
(Yes, it works with games you find in the high seas)
Conclusion
Overall, opening a Steam account is easy and free. Moreover, you can use the store and download as many free games as you’d like.
There’re some limitations, though. In particular, your account is limited until you either spend $5 on Steam or until someone else adds you as a friend. Limited accounts have some missing features, like, for example, they can’t add other users as friends.
