Evaluate your game's commercial viability. Calculate the exact units required to break even at your selling price, determine your target unit price for a given audience, and estimate your maximum sustainable game budget based on projected sales and platform cuts.
Quick Presets:
Game Financial Inputs
$250,000
$
Dev: 72% ($180,000) Mkt: 28% ($70,000)
72%
28%
Retail price to consumers
$
20,000 copies
Steam/Console standard (30%)
30%
Estimate Units Sold Required
17,867
Copies needed to break even at $19.99 per unit with 30% store cut.
Raw Break-Even (0% Cut):12,507 copies
Estimate Target Selling Price
$17.86
Required retail price to break even across 20,000 sold units.
Raw Unit Cost (0% Cut):$12.50 / copy
Estimate Game Budget
$279,860
Max sustainable production budget across 20,000 units at $19.99.
Gross Sales Capacity:$399,800
🎉
Profitable / Recouped
You have surpassed your break-even threshold by 2,133 copies.
111.9% Recouped
Budget Recoupment Progress111.9%
Gross Revenue
$399,800
Platform Cut
-$119,940
Net Publisher Revenue
$279,860
Net Profit / Loss
+$29,860
Gross Revenue DistributionROI: +11.9%
Store Cut (30%)
Production Budget ($250k)
Net Margin / Profit
Price Tier Break-Even Matrix
Compare how many copies your game needs to sell across standard retail price points to break even, double, or triple your budget.
Retail Price
Net Revenue / Copy
Break-Even Copies (1x)
Double Budget (2x ROI)
Triple Budget (3x ROI)
Gross Target Revenue
Break-Even Math Explained
Commercial video game sales rely on understanding the distinction between Gross Retail Price and Net Publisher Share.
For instance, on Steam or PlayStation Store, a 30% platform cut means that for every $20 game sold, the developer receives approximately $14.00 net (excluding regional VAT/GST taxes and potential 5% engine royalties like Unreal Engine over $1M).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard platform fee for PC and console games?
Valve's Steam, Sony's PlayStation Network, Microsoft's Xbox Store, and Nintendo's eShop traditionally charge a 30% platform distribution cut. The Epic Games Store takes a lower 12% cut, while direct sales via itch.io or your own web storefront allow custom or 0% cuts.
How does discounting and Steam sales impact break-even?
Over 60-70% of long-tail PC game sales occur during seasonal discounts (e.g. 20% to 50% off). If your average selling price drops by 25% due to sales, your required unit sales volume increases proportionally by 33% to achieve the same break-even threshold.
Should marketing costs be included in the game budget?
Yes! For commercial releases, marketing, localization, trailer production, QA testing, and community management typically make up 25% to 50% of the total expenditures. Always include both development and marketing when estimating true break-even points.