Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to redeem codes on Steam

By
Custom art in a Steam library.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Steam, and PC gaming in general, has become almost exclusively digital. Even if you can find a boxed copy of a PC game today, you're almost guaranteed to open it up and just find a code inside. That Steam code only needs to be entered once to give you access to the game, whether it comes from a boxed copy or more likely an online seller. If you're used to simply purchasing games with your Steam wallet funds or attached credit card to add it to your library directly, you may have no idea how to redeem a product on Steam. Not to worry — the process is as simple as can be.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • A Steam product code

How to redeem a product code on Steam

Redeeming any product code on Steam can be done in a few quick clicks so you can start downloading and playing your new game ASAP.

Step 1: Open up Steam and make sure you're logged in.

Step 2: Click on the Games tab.

The steam homepage.
Valve
Related

Step 3: From the dropdown, select Activate a Product on Steam. This is also where you can add funds to your wallet.

The Steam code redeem page.
Valve

Step 4: Type or paste in your activation code, hit Confirm, and it will be added to your library.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
How long is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle?
Indiana drawing a circle in red.

We've had plenty of Indiana Jones games in the past, but none in any modern generation until now. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the last great Xbox Series X game of 2024 and promises an adventure on par with the films we fell in love with. Adventure games such as this don't tend to be particularly long, though, leading some to wonder whether this game will be much longer than the films. Thankfully, that isn't the case, but you should still know what you're getting into before picking the game up or subscribing to Game Pass to check it out. Let's solve the riddle of how long it takes to beat Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
How long is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle?

Pinning down how long this adventure will take you is a bit of a puzzle. While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn't an open-world game, it is by no means linear and there are tons of collectibles, side uests, and optional mysteries to solve. Depending on how thorough you want to be, that can double your playtime, or possibly triple it.

Read more
How to respec passive abilities in Path of Exile 2
A barbarian character in Path of Exile 2.

Just like in the first game, Path of Exile 2 has a skill tree that looks more like a massive cobweb. There are so many choices that you can easily feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how you spend your precious points, but the game isn't as mean as its monsters. There is a way you can refund your passive ability points and completely remake your build if you so desire. However, it does take a bit of work and figuring out if you want to do it, so let's run through the process.

Read more
Valve’s Fremont could be the successor to the Steam Machine
Valve Steam Machine Controller hands on in use

When the original Steam Machine was announced in 2015, it promised a massive change from traditional gaming experiences. The console-slash-PC gained a lot of attention, but a variety of factors stopped it from being a success. Poor performance sent many players back to standard PC gaming, while the high price meant Valve sold less than 500,000 units. Despite its failure, though, the Steam Machine had a lot of fans — many of whom have waited years for a follow-up. And now it might actually be on the way.

A Reddit user named u/coolbho3k spotted a reference to the Fremont project in the Steam Deck kernel. The code doesn't make it clear exactly what sort of device Fremont will be, but it references a platform called AMD Lilac. Users have also found references to the same platform on Geekbench, where it scores significantly higher than the Steam Deck. Were it another handheld, this platform would leave the Steam Deck in its wake — and that makes it all the more likely to be a TV box or set-top box of sorts, according to Tom's Hardware.

Read more