Steam Now Tells You You Are Only Buying A Game License

The next time you buy a game on Steam, it’ll be clear that you won’t actually be buying the game. A recent update on Steam now shows players that instead of buying a game, all they are purchasing is a license.

“A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam,” the message reads along with a link to Steam’s subscriber agreement.

Steam has made an update. If you go to buy a game on the store, it tells you that you aren't actually buying the game. Instead, you are licensing it.
— Mike Straw (@mikestrawmedia.com) 2024-10-11T15:29:49.618Z

The update comes just after California signed a bill into law that requires digital storefronts to clearly state when media being purchased is only a license to access. The new law applies to all digital works such as music, movies, TV shows, ebooks, and video games.

“As retailers continue to pivot away from selling physical media, the need for consumer protections on the purchase of digital media has become increasingly more important,” California Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin said in a release at the time via The Verge. “I thank the Governor for signing AB 2426, ensuring the false and deceptive advertising from sellers of digital media incorrectly telling consumers they own their purchases becomes a thing of the past.”

The law goes into effect in 2025.

As of writing, Steam is the only storefront to show this disclaimer. Neither the Xbox Store, nor PlayStation Store, nor Epic Games Store display this same notice when going to purchase a game from the stores. It’s unclear when that update will come, but it should be expected to happened.

What do you think of Steam telling players that the game they are buying is just a license and doesn’t constitute ownership? Let us know below or in the official Insider Gaming Forums.

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