How To Get Games Cheap
There are always new big games released, but with the prices of these games and inflation shooting to an all-time high in recent years, sometimes it’s hard to justify the purchase. However, that doesn’t mean you have to skip over new releases entirely as there are plenty of ways you can get games at a cheaper rate. We’ve put together a short guide on how to get games cheap in 2022.
Look For Sales
Waiting for sales is a great way of grabbing games at a cheaper price. However, the caveat is that you’ll usually have to wait a few months to a year before a new game drops in price, although there are some titles that usually drop faster than others like the Assassin’s Creed and FIFA titles.
We’ve also noticed that Nintendo’s first-party games usually don’t drop in price compared to first-party games on other consoles. So you may find that even when Nintendo games are on sale, they likely haven’t dropped in price by much.
Digitally At Online Sales And Stores
If you don’t mind grabbing digital copies of your games or you’ve got a digital-only console, checking for sales is one of the best ways to get games for cheap. The three major game consoles all have their own digital stores:
When it comes to PC games, there are numerous online stores you can use to purchase titles, including:
- GOG.com: Great for purchasing older games usually not found elsewhere
- Steam: Best for a variety of big-name and indie titles
- Epic Games Store: An alternative to Steam that offers big titles and indie games
- Humble Bundle: Great for purchasing new games and bundles of games, with funds going to charity for the latter
- CD Keys: Excellent for grabbing games at a cheaper rate, although they resell keys and are not official sellers.
We would recommend you stick to licensed sellers like GOG.com, Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Humble Bundle, although we know of several people who have used CD Keys to purchase their games for PC and other platforms at a cheaper rate without issue.
All of the above online stores run regular sales. You’ll have the usual seasonal sales like Winter, Holiday, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Halloween, but the stores will regularly run other sales too. PlayStation for example runs sales each week, while Nintendo’s eShop runs sales every few weeks.
There are websites like DekuDeals.com, which track the prices of games both digitally and physically. Although the site started by tracking only Nintendo Switch titles, it’s now begun branching out to cover both PlayStation and Xbox titles too.
Physically At Brick-And-Mortar Shops And Online Stores
If you live somewhere with video game brick-and-mortar stores, it may be a good idea to keep an eye on when they’re running any sales. However, we’ve found, particularly in the United Kingdom, that most brick-and-mortar shops usually sell games at a higher price compared to purchasing them digitally or through online retailers like Amazon or Base.com and ShopTo in the UK, which all offer cheaper prices for physical titles.
Check Second-Hand Shops
Another great way of grabbing games on the cheap is by checking second-hand shops like CEX in the UK and Europe or by browsing the pre-owned section of brick-and-mortar video game stores like GAME or Gamestop. You’ll be able to find more recent releases second-hand and at a cheaper rate than purchasing them new. Some shops may even have offers on pre-owned games like GAME, so check up on that too.
Try Online Marketplaces
Checking online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great places to find deals on games. Many people like to sell games after completing them to fund their next game, so you should have no trouble finding new releases on sale, with eBay allowing you to bid on games and make offers too, giving you a chance to purchase a game at an even cheaper rate if luck is in your favour.
Renting Games
If you really want to play a new release but aren’t bothered about actually owning the game, another great option is to try renting the game. There are numerous online platforms that allow you to rent titles both in the UK and internationally too. Some may require a monthly subscription while others may simply require you to pay to rent the title solely.
All of the above are great ways of getting games cheap, and it’ll allow you to enjoy new releases without having to pay full price if you can’t.
