Enjoying Video Games On a Budget

Photo by Garrett Morrow

Are you the kind of person who enjoys video games but feels trapped by the high costs in the industry? Some of the most popular games come with a stiff price tag, and truth be told, not every gamer is willing to pay full price for their entertainment. 

Fear not, there are ways to enjoy your favourite video games without draining your wallet. Here are some of the best tips to enjoy video games on a budget without sacrificing on fun. 

Unsplash – CC0 Licence

Exploring torrent sites for free games

While this is a somewhat controversial topic, there are a lot of high quality game torrent sites. But if you are going to use them, you want to fully understand the legal and ethical repercussions. 

Torrenting games means you can download copyrighted material with the authorization of the developers and publishers. Ultimately, we all know that game developers put in significant time and effort to create these games, and their livelihoods depend on legitimate sales. 

On the other hand, you can use torrent sites to find games that are not available in traditional market sites anymore, such as old classics or small indie games. It’s important to appreciate that torrenting doesn’t have to be evil. Sometimes, it’s the only way to find a beloved game of your childhood without paying collectable prices. 

Playing games without breaking the bank

Not everyone is comfortable torrenting. So what are your other options? 

You’d be pleased to know that there are many free-to-play games that meet high quality standards and offer hours of entertainment. Popular titles, such as Fornite and Apex Legends fall directly into the free and fun category. 

You may want to keep an eye on digital game stores sales, such as Epic Games Store, GOG, and Steam. These stores frequently run discount offers and they have many seasonal sales events, so it’s worth checking them regularly. You may be able to snap a great game at a great price. 

Subscription services, including Xbox Game Pass, also have a vast library of games for a monthly fee, which could end up being cheaper if you enjoy playing a lot! Bear in mind, if you are an occasional player, this may not be a valuable purchase!

Let’s not forget about the usual borrow and trade process. Every gamer needs gamer friends with whom they can switch games. If you are strategic about your purchases and plan together, you could get access to a lot of popular games while only paying for one. 

Mobile games

Many mobile games come for free or at a low cost, so this could be a cost-effective way to enjoy great storylines and challenges. 

Unsplash – CC0 Licence

However, there’s one important aspect of mobile gaming that you want to remember: Data usage. If you have a small data budget, you may want to be strategic about how you play mobile games. You could, for example, use lite versions of some of your preferred apps to free off data for gaming. 

You can also find some mobile games that are available offline, which means they can be played without relying on a constant Internet connection. 

In short, there is more than one way to enjoy video games without spending too much money! Granted, you’ll have to be smart about your choices, but being a little strategic with gaming can go a long way to make your hobby more enjoyable.