1. What is the Steam Wishlist?
The Steam Wishlist is a powerful and free tool built directly into the Steam platform. While browsing the Steam store, if you spot a game you are interested in (whether it is an upcoming release or a classic title), you can click "Add to your wishlist".
For smart shoppers, the wishlist is not just a digital note; it is the most accurate price monitoring alert system available.
2. How Wishlist Price Alerts Work
Once a game is in your wishlist, Steam will automatically send you notifications when it goes on promotion:
📧 Email Notifications
Whenever a wishlisted game receives a discount, Steam automatically sends a detailed summary email to your registered account, highlighting the discount percentage (e.g., 75% off) and the promotional price.
📱 Mobile App Push Alerts
If you have the official Steam mobile app installed on your smartphone, enabling wishlist alerts ensures you receive real-time push notifications the moment a sale begins, allowing you to check out deals even on the go.
3. Advanced Sorting and Filtering Tips
When your wishlist grows to dozens or hundreds of games, it can become overwhelming during major sales. You can use the Sort & Filter controls to streamline your purchase decision:
1. Sort by "Discount":
This moves games with the deepest discounts (e.g., 90% or 75% off) to the top of your list, making it easy to spot the best values.
2. Filter by "Price":
Limit the display to games below $5 USD or $10 USD to fit your current shopping budget.
3. Order by "Your Rank":
You can manually drag and drop games to arrange them by personal priority. When sales arrive, focus on purchasing your top-ranked games first.
4. Sharing Your Wishlist for Gift Giving
By default, your Steam Wishlist is visible to your Steam friends. During holidays, birthdays, or special occasions, friends can view your wishlist from your profile and purchase games directly from it as a digital gift, ensuring you receive games you actually want.