Steam Wishlist Calculator
Estimate your game's launch week, first month, and lifetime revenue from Steam wishlists — with conversion rates, Steam's cut, and deductions.
Include regional pricing adjustment (-15%)
Include estimated refunds (-9%)
Projected Revenue
Lifetime net revenue
$22,401.09
3,000 units at 30% conversion
Launch week (12%)$8,960.43
First month (15%)$11,200.54
Lifetime deductions
Gross revenue$44,970.00
Regional adjustment-$6,745.50
Refunds-$3,440.21
Steam platform cut (30%)-$10,435.29
VAT-$1,947.92
Projected units sold
Launch week1,200
First month1,500
Lifetime3,000
Quick Reference (at $14.99)
| Wishlists | Launch Week | First Month | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $896.04 | $1,120.05 | $2,240.11 |
| 5,000 | $4,480.22 | $5,600.27 | $11,200.54 |
| 10,000 | $8,960.43 | $11,200.54 | $22,401.09 |
| 25,000 | $22,401.09 | $28,001.36 | $56,002.71 |
| 50,000 | $44,802.17 | $56,002.71 | $112,005.43 |
| 100,000 | $89,604.34 | $112,005.43 | $224,010.86 |
How Steam Wishlists Convert to Sales
When a player wishlists your game on Steam, they receive an email notification on launch day and during sales. This built-in remarketing is what makes Steam wishlists so valuable — no other PC platform actively drives users back to buy. On average, 10-15% of wishlists convert to a purchase during launch week, with games priced above $10 trending toward the lower end. First-month conversions typically reach 12-18%, and lifetime conversions can reach 20-40% as players buy during seasonal sales.
Wishlist Conversion Benchmarks
| Time Period | Conversion Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Launch week | 10 – 15% | Highest spike — Steam sends launch notification |
| First month | 12 – 18% | Includes launch week + early word-of-mouth |
| First sale event | +3 – 8% | Each major sale converts a portion of remaining wishlists |
| Lifetime | 20 – 40% | Accumulated over multiple sale events and years |
These benchmarks come from publicly shared data by indie developers and industry analysts. Your actual conversion rate will vary based on genre, price, marketing, and launch timing.
Wishlist Targets for Indie Games
| Wishlists at Launch | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Under 2,000 | Minimal visibility — Steam's algorithm unlikely to boost you |
| 2,000 – 7,000 | Modest launch — may appear in niche discovery queues |
| 7,000 – 20,000 | Solid position — likely to trigger algorithmic visibility boosts |
| 20,000 – 50,000 | Strong launch expected — good chance of hitting Popular New Releases |
| 50,000+ | Top-tier indie launch — likely front page visibility on release day |
How to Increase Your Wishlist Count
- Release a demo during Steam Next Fest. Next Fest is the single biggest wishlist driver for indie games. Developers regularly report 2,000 to 10,000+ wishlists from a single Next Fest appearance, depending on genre and demo quality.
- Post your Steam page early. Create your store page as soon as you have a trailer and screenshots. Every month your page is live, it passively accumulates wishlists from search and recommendations.
- Build a community on social media. Regular devlog updates on Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube drive consistent wishlist growth. Short gameplay clips and before/after comparisons tend to perform best.
- Get featured by content creators. A single popular YouTube or Twitch creator playing your demo can drive thousands of wishlists in a day. Send keys to creators who cover your genre.
Steam Wishlist Calculator vs Revenue Calculator
This wishlist calculator is for pre-launch planning — estimating future revenue based on how many wishlists you expect to have at launch. If your game is already released and has reviews, use our Steam Revenue Calculator instead, which estimates actual revenue from review count using the Boxleiter method. Both calculators use the same deduction logic (regional pricing, refunds, Steam's tiered cut) so the revenue projections are consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Steam wishlists convert to sales?
The median Steam wishlist conversion rate is about 10-15% during launch week, with games priced above $10 trending toward the lower end. First-month conversion typically reaches 12-18%, and lifetime conversion can range from 20-40% as players buy during seasonal sales. The rate depends on your game's price, review score, genre, launch timing, and competition. Games with strong reviews (90%+ positive) convert significantly better than poorly reviewed titles.
What is a good Steam wishlist count before launch?
A common benchmark is 7,000-10,000 wishlists for a modest indie launch. Games with 20,000+ wishlists at launch are in a strong position and are more likely to hit Steam's algorithm-driven visibility thresholds. Games with 50,000+ wishlists are well-positioned for a top-selling launch. However, wishlist count alone doesn't guarantee success — conversion rate and post-launch retention matter just as much.
Does game price affect wishlist conversion rate?
Yes, significantly. Games priced under $10 see median launch-week conversions around 15%, while games above $10 drop to around 10%. A $4.99 game might convert 15-18% of wishlists at launch, while a $29.99 game might convert 8-10% — but the more expensive game earns significantly more total revenue despite fewer conversions. This is why the calculator lets you adjust conversion rates in advanced settings to match your price point.
When do most wishlist conversions happen?
The majority of wishlist conversions happen in two windows: launch week (when Steam sends a notification to all wishlisted users) and major Steam sales (Summer Sale, Winter Sale, etc.). Launch week typically accounts for 30-50% of all lifetime wishlist conversions. Each subsequent Steam sale event converts a smaller percentage of remaining wishlists, with diminishing returns over time.
How does Steam's algorithm use wishlists?
Steam uses wishlist velocity (the rate at which wishlists are added) as a signal for its recommendation algorithm and visibility rounds. Games with strong wishlist momentum are more likely to appear in Discovery Queue, on the front page, and in 'Popular Upcoming' lists. A spike in wishlist additions — from a trailer, demo, or festival — can significantly boost your game's organic visibility on Steam.
What percentage does Steam take from game sales?
Steam uses a tiered revenue split: 30% on the first $10 million in gross revenue, 25% on revenue between $10M and $50M, and 20% above $50M. These thresholds are per-game, not across a publisher's catalog. Most indie developers fall into the 30% tier. The cut is calculated after refunds, so you don't pay Steam's fee on refunded copies.
How do Steam wishlists compare to other platforms?
Steam wishlists are uniquely powerful because Steam actively notifies users when a wishlisted game launches or goes on sale. No other PC platform has this level of built-in remarketing. Epic Games Store has wishlists but a much smaller user base. Console platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) have wishlists with notification systems, but conversion data is less publicly available. For PC games, Steam wishlists remain the single most important pre-launch metric.
Can I estimate revenue for a free-to-play game using wishlists?
This calculator is designed for premium (paid) games. For free-to-play games, wishlist conversion works differently — players 'purchase' at $0, and monetization comes from in-game purchases. Wishlist-to-download conversion rates for F2P games tend to be higher (20-40% launch week) since there's no price barrier, but projecting revenue requires estimating average revenue per user (ARPU), which varies widely by genre and monetization model.