Technologies

Here Are the Best Steam Wargames Fest and Star Wars May the 4th Be With You Deals

Save money and grow your gaming backlog with these Star Wars deals and Steam Wargame Fest discounts.

Steam is one of the most popular PC gaming platforms, selling more than 400 million total games in 2023, according to Statista. The digital PC gaming service boasts a massive catalog of over 76,000 titles. I first discovered Steam in university — until then, I’d never had my own computer, so the allure of PC gaming proved irresistible. What started as a humble dozen games (like Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life) blossomed into a collection of over 220 titles, thanks mainly to Steam sales. (Please don’t ask me how many items from my library I’ve actually played.)

Currently, you can snag some discounted war games at the Steam Wargames Fest, or load up on Star Wars titles for a May the 4th sale. Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks on one of the latest big-name AAA games, want to add more indie games to your digital shelf or need to fill up your Steam Deck hard drive, here’s everything you need to know about Steam sales and how to save money.

Best Steam May the 4th Star Wars game deals

Steam’s May the 4th Be With You sale slashes prices on a slew of Star Wars games. Here are some of the best deals we saw:

Best Steam Wargames Fest deals

You won’t have to resist reaching for your wallet with these deep discounts.

When are the next Steam sales?

There are four main Steam seasonal sales. The next major Steam Sale — the Steam Summer Sale — runs June 26 to July 10, 2025. There are also smaller sales, called Fests. Typically, the Steam Winter and Summer Sales last about two weeks, whereas the Spring and Autumn Sales last for one week, give or take.

Steam Summer Sale (June 26 to July 10, 2025)
Steam Autumn Sale (was Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2024)
Steam Winter Sale (was Dec. 19, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025)
Steam Spring Sale (was March 13-20, 2025)

How often are Steam sales?

Steam Sales are pretty frequent, with at least one per month. While the big seasonal sales are quarterly — winter, fall, spring and summer — there are dozens of smaller sales or fests. Typically, these Steam discount days revolve around a particular theme, with lowered prices on titles within a certain genre, like fighting games or role-playing games.

Here’s how I save money with Steam sales (and you can too)

Take advantage of your wish list

Adding games to your Steam wish list simplifies figuring out what to snag — or skip — during a sale. You can sort your wish list by discount, so finding the biggest savings is a breeze.

Add a game to your wish list whenever you see one you like the look of but don’t immediately want to play. Then, during a Steam sale, pop in, sort by discount and see which prices have plummeted the most. Or, you can arrange your wish list in order of your most wanted titles, then choose what to buy that way during one of the upcoming Steam sales.

Use SteamDB to find the largest discounts

SteamDB is an excellent source for uncovering deals. Its many filters let you sort attributes, including discount percentage, rating, price or reviews, making it a helpful Steam sales tracker. You can even narrow down a list based on platform — Windows, Linux or MacOS — and features like controller support. I’ve even used SteamDB to nab free games, like a no-cost copy of Tell Me Why.

I typically hop into SteamDB during a Steam sale to look for hefty discounts on highly rated games. It’s worth checking SteamDB even outside of seasonal sales and fests if you want to expand your Steam collection.

Shop for older titles, indie games, DLC and complete catalogs

Often, newer AAA games get heavy markdowns — but because of their usually high price tags, even the discounted cost isn’t cheap. However, you can find wallet-friendly older games, indies or downloadable content. For instance, I picked up a copy of The Sum of All Fears for just $2, which wasn’t even during a Steam sale.

Complete publisher catalogs or franchise bundles save you a ton of money. I’ve seen the Activision Collection bundle — typically $900 — for as low as $355. While over $350 might not be pocket change, the per-title breakdown is pretty cost-effective when you’re getting 53 games. Similarly, I’ve seen the Call of Duty Franchise bundle for $443, a steep drop from its usual $1,010.

You can often get DLC packs pretty cheap during Steam sales, which provide more in-game content to enjoy. On the other hand, these comprehensive bundles might lead you to overspend if you’re not actually planning on playing, say, every single Call of Duty game under the sun.

Check your other game libraries to make sure you’re not double-dipping

Although Steam is incredibly popular, it’s not the only source for digital game purchases. Check your other libraries on GOG, Epic, EA Origin and Xbox Game Pass, for instance, to ensure you’re not double-dipping. While you could buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam and GOG, you probably don’t need two copies.

Cross-shop deals on other platforms

With many Steam alternatives, including GOG, Epic, Origin and Fanatical, you can find sweet discounts from several outlets. While you can — and should — check those individual storefronts, IsThereAnyDeal is a comprehensive source for savings. So you might notice a great deal on Skyrim from Steam, but it might be available at an even lower price at Epic at the same time.

Set a budget

Adding a bunch of games to your cart can be tempting, especially with prices slashed by 75% or more. However, lots of cheap games can still add up. I typically set a budget — whether it’s monetary or a limit on the number of games — and stick to that.

Don’t feel compelled to buy anything

The best way to save money is by not spending it in the first place. I know, it’s tempting to load up your cart with $5 or $10 games, which is nearly as gratifying as an in-game loot grab. But only buy what you’ll play now or soon after purchasing. While there are rare instances where games get delisted on Steam, chances are if you pass up on a sweet deal, it’ll still be available during the next Steam sale.

A complete list of Steam sale dates

Outside of Steam’s seasonal sales, there are different genre-themed sales or fests. Steam fests revolve around a genre or game theme. Here are the upcoming Steam fests for the remainder of 2024 and the first half of 2025 as announced by Steam, along with examples of Steam games on sale you might find:

Wargames Fest (April 28-May 5, 2025): Get your fight on with slashed prices on titles that may include Six Days in Fallujah, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Europa Universalis IV.
Creature Collector Fest (May 12-19, 2025): If you like Pokémon, you’ll love these discounts on games like Palworld, Digimon World: Next Order and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
Zombies vs. Vampires Fest (May 26-June 2, 2025): Unreal deals on the undead and living dead — titles you may see on sale include Resident Evil 4, The House of the Dead Remake and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines.
Steam Next Fest June Edition (June 9-16, 2025): Demos, livestreams and developer chats showcasing upcoming games.
Fishing Fest (June 16-23, 2025): No fishing license required for these great games. You could see prices sink for games like Bassmaster Fishing, Fishing Planet, Bass Pro Shops Fishing Sim World or Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos.
Real-Time Strategy Fest ( was Jan. 20-27, 2025): Reap the rewards of discounted RTS strategy games — you might find Hearts of Iron IV, Manor Lords or DOTA 2 on sale.
Idler Fest (was Feb. 3-10, 2025): If you want to play a video game that lets you progress without too much demanding effort, an idler is a great choice. Examples of what you could find on the cheap include Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realm, Firestone and Rusty’s Retirement.
Couch Co-Op Fest (was Feb. 10-17, 2025): Couch co-op games let you play with friends in the same room. You may see games like It Takes Two, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection for wallet-friendly prices.
Steam Next Fest February Edition (was Feb. 24-March 10, 2025): Demos, developer chats and livestreams featuring up-and-coming games.
Visual Novel Fest (was March 3-10, 2025): Stock up your Steam library on graphic novel and anime-adjacent games without breaking the bank. You might see Persona 3 Reload, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy or Vampire Therapist at attractively low costs.
City Builder & Colony Sim Fest (was March 24-31, 2025): Build your own virtual worlds, and cop titles like Anno 1800, Ages of Empires IV or RimWorld on sale.
Sokoban Fest (was April 21-28, 2025): Pick up some puzzle games like Isles of Sea and Sky or Schein.

When is the next Steam Next Fest?

There’s an upcoming Steam Next Fest running February 24 to March 3, 2025. The Steam Next Fest highlights upcoming game releases, featuring developer chats, free playable game demos and livestreams. Some of the most played demos from the June 2024 Steam Next Fest included Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, Once Human and Level Zero: Extraction.

Here’s what I bought on Steam recently

So what did I stock up on at a recent Steam Sale? Mass Effect Legendary Edition — three games for $2 apiece was too good a deal to skip. I also snagged Middle-earth: Shadow of War. While I picked up Shadow of Mordor at a previous Steam Sale, I’ve not yet added its sequel to my metaphorical shelf. As a big cinephile and fan of movie tie-in games (like Peter Jackson’s King Kong), I was excited to get Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine alongside Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb for $4 total. Although I own it in EA Origin, I snagged a $1 copy of Alice: Madness Returns, because at that price, it was too juicy a discount to pass up.

How to get the most out of Steam once you’ve ravaged your wallet during a Steam sale

Once you’ve drained your bank account dry on games you’ll likely never play, there’s a lot more you can do with Steam, like sharing your library with friends or family, using Remote Play Together and adding non-Steam games. I suggest installing the Steam Link app on your phone, tablet or streaming device for playing your games away from your PC. You can also game on the go with the Steam Deck or another handheld gaming console like the Asus ROG Ally. Or, you can share your Steam library with up to five family members using Steam Families.

Technologies

Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot

Google is using its latest Android rollout to position Gemini as the AI layer across phones, Chrome, laptops and cars.

Google is using its latest Android rollout to make Gemini less of a chatbot and more of an operating layer across the phone, browser, car and laptop, just weeks before Apple is expected to show its own Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence reboot at WWDC.
Ahead of its Google I/O developer conference next week, the company previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features.
Alphabet is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for artificial intelligence models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
Sameer Samat, who oversees Google’s Android ecosystem, told CNBC that Google is rebuilding parts of Android around Gemini Intelligence to help users complete everyday tasks more easily.
“We’re transitioning from an operating system to an intelligence system,” he said.
As part of Tuesday’s announcements. Google said Gemini Intelligence will be able to move across apps, understand what’s on the screen and complete tasks that would normally require a user to jump between multiple services. That means Android is moving beyond the traditional assistant model, where users ask a question and get an answer, and acting more like an agent.
For instance, Google says Gemini can pull relevant information from Gmail, build shopping carts and book reservations. Samat gave the example of asking Gemini to look at the guest list for a barbecue, build a menu, add ingredients to an Instacart list and return for approval before checkout.
A big concern surrounding agentic AI involves software taking action on a user’s behalf without permissions. Samat said Gemini will come back to the user before completing a transaction, adding, “the human is always in the loop.”
Four months after announcing its Gemini deal with Google, Apple is under pressure to show a more capable version of Apple Intelligence, which has been a relative laggard on the market. Apple has long framed privacy, hardware integration and control of the user experience as its advantages.
Google’s Android push is designed to show it can bring AI deeper into the device experience while still giving users control over what Gemini can see, where it can act and when it needs confirmation.
The app automation features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer, before expanding across more Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The company is also redesigning Android Auto around Gemini, turning the car into another major surface for its assistant. Android Auto is in more than 250 million cars, and Google says the new release includes its biggest maps update in a decade and Gemini-powered help with tasks like ordering dinner while driving.
Alphabet’s AI strategy has been embraced by Wall Street, which has pushed the company’s stock price up more than 140% in the past year, compared to Apple’s roughly 40% gain. Investors now want to see how Gemini can become more central to the products people use every day.
WATCH: Alphabet briefly tops Nvidia after report of $200 billion Anthropic cloud deal

Technologies

Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to ‘drive into standing water’

Waymo issued a voluntary recall of about 3,800 of its robotaxis to fix software issues that could allow them to drive into flooded roadways.

Waymo is recalling about 3,800 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix software issues that could allow them to “drive onto a flooded roadway,” according to a letter on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
The voluntary recall is for Waymo vehicles that use the company’s fifth and sixth generation automated driving systems (or ADS), the U.S. auto safety regulator said in the letter posted Tuesday.
Waymo autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas, were seen on camera driving onto a flooded street and stalling, requiring other drivers to navigate around them. It’s the latest example of a safety-related issue for the Alphabet-owned AV unit that’s rapidly bolstering its fleet of vehicles and entering new U.S. markets.
Waymo has drawn criticism for its vehicles failing to yield to school buses in Austin, and for the performance of its vehicles during widespread power outages in San Francisco in December, when robotaxis halted in traffic, causing gridlock.
The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it’s “identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways,” and opted to file a “voluntary software recall” with the NHTSA.
“Waymo provides over half a million trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments across the U.S., and safety is our primary priority,” the company said.
Waymo added that it’s working on “additional software safeguards” and has put “mitigations” in place, limiting where its robotaxis operate during extreme weather, so that they avoid “areas where flash flooding might occur” in periods of intense rain.
WATCH: Waymo launches new autonomous system in Chinese-made vehicle

Technologies

Qualcomm tumbles 13% as semiconductor stocks retreat from historic AI-fueled surge

Semiconductor equities reversed sharply after a broad AI-driven advance, with Qualcomm suffering its worst day since 2020 amid inflation concerns and rising oil prices.

Semiconductor stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, reversing course after an extensive rally that had expanded the artificial intelligence investment theme well past Nvidia and driven the industry to unprecedented levels.

Qualcomm plunged 13% and was on track for its steepest single-day decline since 2020. Intel shed 8%, while On Semiconductor and Skyworks Solutions each lost more than 6%. The iShares Semiconductor ETF, which benchmarks the overall sector, fell 5%.

The sell-off came after a key gauge of consumer prices came in above forecasts, and as conflict in Iran pushed crude oil higher—prompting investors to shift away from riskier assets.

The preceding advance had widened the AI opportunity set beyond longtime industry leader Nvidia, which for much of the past several years had largely carried the market to new peaks on its own.

Explosive appetite for central processing units, along with the graphics processing units that power large language models, has sent chipmakers to all-time highs.

Market participants are wagering that the shift from AI model training to autonomous agents will lift demand for additional AI hardware. Among the beneficiaries are memory chip producers, which are raising prices as supply remains tight.

Micron Technology slid 6%, and Sandisk cratered 8%. Sandisk’s stock has surged more than six times over since January.