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How Steam Refunds Work When an Older Game Won’t Run on Your PC

A Steam game that will not run may still be submitted for refund review. Here are the standard time and playtime limits, the Support route, and key exceptions.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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If an older game you bought on Steam will not run on your PC, you can still ask Valve to consider a refund. Steam’s standard rule for games and software is to request it within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime. Requests outside those limits may be reviewed, but approval is not guaranteed.

Steam’s standard refund window

Valve’s standard offer for Steam games and software applications requires both of these conditions:

  • Submit the request within 14 days of purchase.
  • Have played the game for less than two hours.

These are the usual eligibility terms, not a guarantee that every qualifying request will be approved. Valve’s policy also says you can ask outside the rules: “Even if you fall outside of the refund rules we’ve described, you can ask for a refund anyway and we’ll take a look.” That means a request can be considered; it does not create an automatic exception for older games or games that fail to launch. Valve’s Steam Refunds policy was last updated April 23, 2024.

What to do if the game will not run

  1. Go to Steam Support and sign in to the account that purchased the game.
  2. Open the purchase or game support options and choose the refund request route.
  3. Explain accurately that the game does not run on your PC. Include what happens when you try to start it, if you know, but do not guess at a technical cause.
  4. Submit the request promptly, especially if you are still within the 14-day window and below two hours of playtime.

Valve does not specify on its policy page how time spent during a failed launch or in a launcher is counted. Do not assume that it is excluded or included; describe the situation honestly in your request.

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If you are outside the usual limits

You can still submit a request through Steam Support and explain why the game could not be used. Valve says it will take a look at requests outside the stated rules, but its policy does not promise approval based on age, compatibility problems, or a failed launch. The page also does not establish that a particular compatibility setting, operating-system change, driver update, or hardware upgrade will solve a specific game’s problem.

Steam purchase or third-party key?

Steam’s refund policy applies to purchases made through Steam. Valve says it cannot refund purchases made outside Steam, including CD keys bought from third parties. For a key bought elsewhere, contact the seller and check that seller’s refund terms.

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Local consumer rights and refund timing

Valve notes that consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights to a refund when a game is faulty. Which rights apply depends on the reader’s location and circumstances; the Steam policy does not determine that for an individual case. It states: “Consumers in some jurisdictions may have additional rights to a refund in circumstances where the game is faulty.”

If Valve approves a refund, the policy says it is issued within a week, either as Steam Wallet funds or to the original payment method when that method supports refunds. This is the stated processing time after approval, not a commitment to review a request within a week.

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