Case 1
- How many games are on the wishlist?
- 25
- Average full price per game
- 29.99
- What is your budget?
- 200
- Discount you expect
- 50%
174.88
Open with these valuesSteam Wishlist Budget Calculator
174.88
Result: 174.88Twenty games at 30 with half off cost 300, so a budget of 200 leaves you 100 short. A positive number is the shortfall, a negative one is money left over, and zero means the budget covers the list exactly. Valve allows discounts between 10 % and 95 %, and 40 to 50 % is a fair guess for a mixed wishlist.
The numbers at a glance
Held fixed: How many games are on the wishlist? 25, Average full price per game 29.99, What is your budget? 200.00.
| Discount you expect (%) | Result |
|---|---|
| 30 | 324.83 |
| 40 | 249.85 |
| 50Your value | 174.88 |
| 60 | 99.90 |
| 70 | 24.93 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- How many games are on the wishlist?
- 20
- Average full price per game
- 30
- What is your budget?
- 200
- Discount you expect
- 50%
100.00
Open with these valuesCase 3
- How many games are on the wishlist?
- 50
- Average full price per game
- 25
- What is your budget?
- 500
- Discount you expect
- 40%
250.00
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
Gap = items × price × (1 − discount ÷ 100) − budget
- StepEnter how many games you would actually buy from the wishlist.
- StepEnter their average full price and the budget you have set aside.
- StepEnter the discount you expect — 40 to 50 % suits a mixed list.
- ResultRead the gap: positive is short by that much, negative is left over.
What this number means
Where the discount range comes from
Valve's own discount documentation, checked on 25 August 2026, allows nothing below 10 % or above 95 %, with launch discounts capped at 40 %. The field here still takes 0 and 100, because a bundle or a giveaway can leave a list costing nothing.
The sign carries the answer
A positive gap is what you are short, a negative one is money left over, and zero means the budget covers the list exactly. One game at 59.99 with half off against a budget of 30 lands on that zero.
One average discount for a whole list is a guess
Games under a year old usually reach only 10 to 25 % off, while titles two years and older often hit 50 to 75 %. Prices also move between today and the sale, so check them again before you commit the budget.
Regional prices differ, the percentage does not
Steam sets a separate base price per region, so enter the prices and the budget from your own store. The result comes back in that same currency.
Commonly misread
A negative gap means I cannot afford the list.
Negative is the surplus: the budget covers the list with that much to spare. Positive is the shortfall.
Everything on my wishlist will be 50 % off.
A release under a year old usually sits at 10 to 25 %. Use a lower average, or split the list into new and old titles.
I entered all 100 items sitting on my wishlist.
Enter only the ones you would actually buy. Otherwise the gap covers games you are never going to touch.
Reference table
| Items, price, budget, discount % | Where that leaves you | Budget gap |
|---|---|---|
| 5, 10, 100, 50 | 25 to pay against a budget of 100 | -75.00 |
| 5, 20, 50, 100 | everything free, budget untouched | -50.00 |
| 1, 59.99, 30, 50 | one game, exactly on budget | 0.00 |
| 10, 15, 0, 50 | 75 to pay with no budget set | 75.00 |
| 20, 30, 200, 50 | 300 to pay against a budget of 200 | 100.00 |
| 50, 25, 500, 40 | 750 to pay against a budget of 500 | 250.00 |
Questions
How does the wishlist budget calculator work?
It multiplies the number of wishlist items by the average full price, applies the discount you expect, and subtracts your budget. What is left is the gap. Twenty games at 30 with half off come to 300, which is 100 more than a budget of 200.
What does the budget gap mean?
The gap is the discounted wishlist total minus the money you have set aside. A negative gap means you are under budget with cash to spare. A positive gap is the amount you are short, so you would have to drop some titles or wait for a deeper cut.
What discount should I expect during a Steam sale?
For a mixed wishlist, 40 to 50 % is a realistic average. Newer games under a year old usually see 10 to 25 % off, while titles two years and older often reach 50 to 75 %. Valve's own rules allow anything from 10 up to 95 %.
When is the best time to buy from my wishlist?
The four seasonal Steam sales normally carry the deepest discounts of the year. Publisher weekends and franchise sales can beat them for individual titles. Price trackers such as SteamDB or IsThereAnyDeal show whether the current price is a historical low.
Does regional pricing change the answer?
The percentage is the same everywhere, the amounts are not. Steam sets a separate base price per region, so enter the prices and the budget from your own store. The result then comes back in that same currency.
Sources and last check
Information, not professional advice.