How to Save Money as a Gamer

Welcome back, readers. If you’re into gaming, you can understand a couple of issues with the hobby. One of the biggest is that it’s a costly one. 60 USD for games and controllers, 500 USD systems. Even up to 2,000 USD gaming PCs. With all of those purchases, how can someone save money? If you’re like me, I have come across those same issues, but I have found a few solutions, which leads us into this week’s article. How can you save money as a gamer?

Here are a few tips that have helped me save money for this pricey hobby:

Look for Used Games

Used games are relatively cheaper than brand new games because an opened copy costs less than a sealed one. If you’re a collector, then this tip might not be an option. However, if you’re planning to open and play the game, it won’t make much difference. The best place to find used games is either on online websites like Slickdeals or Mercari. Other locations can be local retailers like Replay or GameStop. The primary reason for game retailers is that they buy used games and sell them as the middleman. However, be careful with sites like Mercari or eBay. Some sellers will try to sell you a damaged or fake copy at a working price. So, make sure it’s a working copy at purchase and always double-check if it can operate on its respective platform.

Wait Until a Discount

“A warrior’s greatest weapon… is patience” – Zenyatta (Overwatch). Whenever a new game is released, many people buy the game on day one, then immediately take it back to game stores. Within a week or at the latest a month, those brand-new games are 10 USD less than a sealed copy. Price reduction in games happens over time for both new and used products, and it usually gets cheaper the longer you wait. If you wait almost a year, the price will be cut in half. Wait for three years, and there will be a deal for about 15 USD. Wait for an entire console generation, around 5 USD. Patience is videogames’ most potent weakness. Exploit it.

Sell Your Games Once You Finish Them

Most games take a while to finish. The fact that they take so long makes it easier for gamers to leave a game unfinished and move on to another. Because of that incompletion, players are too invested in keeping the game but not withheld enough to sell it. I know this because I have numerous games that are incomplete in my library. Even after finishing them, almost all of them contain no replayability for me. That’s why it makes sense to sell games after completing them. The only downside to this is if you own a digital copy, you can’t resell it to get any of your money back. Guess that’s why a mixture of physical and digital is helpful.

Here’s some added advice when reselling your games; don’t go to GameStop or Best Buy. You’re more likely to make a more significant profit selling directly to the buyer through Offer Up or Facebook Marketplace. Another tip is to sell quickly because the value of games tends to depreciate over time. Except for sports games, in which the value becomes worthless before you can even open the case.

Game Memberships

You get so much out of this method than expected. There are so many game memberships out there; some can give you discounts, but others give you games for a limited time at no extra cost. As long as you claim a digital copy during the set time, the game is yours. If you wish to know which services have this feature, follow this free games webpage here. This link will take you to all of the free games available at this time. This method of service is impressive and almost viable. Still, you have no control over which games will be available, and it could take years to see your favorite games to be free. The best example is Street Fighter V being free this month even though it came out four years ago (Ouch!).

Honorable Mention: Netflix for Gamers

There have been a lot of gaming concepts during the last few years to make gamers save money. One business idea was to create a Netflix for gamers. Look at the previous 12 months, and there have been attempts. The saddest attempt is Google Stadia (expect an article for that service later).

But the best one goes to the Xbox Game Pass. For 15 USD per month, not only do you get access to download an extensive library, but multiple benefits are added with this subscription. Don’t have an Xbox, play the games on your PC with the Microsoft Store. Don’t have a PC, play on your Android smartphone with xCloud (Apple will come back around someday).

Final Thoughts

Gaming is an expensive hobby. But with the right steps and discipline, this expensive hobby can become a well-priced distraction. I know there are several other tips and tricks to cut the cost. If you know any, please, leave them in the comment section so others can learn and save. Thank you for reading my article. Make sure to leave a like below. It lets me know how much you enjoy the content. Make sure to follow the site’s Twitter, @_UrgeGaming, to get the latest updates whenever new articles are posted. Have a blessed week, everyone. Stay safe. Peace.