Gaming is one of the world’s most popular hobbies, and it is often presented as an expensive hobby, but that doesn’t always have to be true.
There are a large variety of ways that many people use to play games without spending much or any money at all, and if other people can do it, why not you?
Slightly under half of the world’s population plays video games, and while gaming can be an expensive hobby at the top end, it’s hard to imagine all of those people are consistently shelling out between $60 and $100 for new games every month or two.
It’s true, high-end gaming computers can run you upwards of $10,000, and a new gaming console is easily going to set you back by most of a $1,000. But despite some high costs here and there, once you’re in, gaming can actually be a relatively inexpensive hobby.
There are a whole slew of different ways that people engage with gaming without spending much, or any, money.
From seeking out deals and discounts to spending time on platforms like BrandBee to get free gift cards, or simply keeping to the growing number of free-to-play games that exist, there are plenty of great options to save on the cost of games and gaming peripherals.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best and most popular ways that people use to keep gaming inexpensive.
Seasonal Discounts and Big Sales
It might seem like a no-brainer, but just wait for it to be on sale. Do you really need that shiny new game that’s dropping at $60USD? Not really.
There are plenty of excellent games that could provide hundreds of hours of enjoyment that can easily be picked up through mainstream digital platforms like Steam, the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store on deep sales, especially around seasonal periods like Christmas.
These games might not be new, and if they are heavily multiplayer titles, they might have small or non-existent communities.
But when you’ve invested under $10 in picking it up, is there really much risk involved? Many platforms, like Steam, will even let you refund a game if you buy it and discover there is no longer a multiplayer community to engage in.
The early bird might get the worm, but all things come to those who wait.
Bundle Deals Can Make Gaming Stupidly Cheap
Another excellent way to keep gaming relatively cheap as a hobby is to keep an eye out for good bundle deals. These deals can let you buy a selection of games all bundled together, normally for a reasonable discount of some sort.
The most well-known bundle service, and one of the most notorious for being great value, is Humble Bundle. Humble Bundle regularly provides gamers the opportunity to buy selections of, often, great games at low prices.
They even have runs where gamers can pay what they think the bundle is worth, with the proceeds being split between game developers and charity.
Even on mainstream gaming storefronts, you can regularly find bundled promotions. Especially if you are new to gaming, or new to a specific genre or franchise, you can pick up a large quantity of older games for very low prices when bundles go on sale.
Buying Refurbished or Old Hardware
For the most part, the expensive bit of gaming is the bleeding edge. If you want the latest releases and the latest in hardware advances, you should expect to pay a pretty penny. But, if you are happy with equipment that isn’t brand new, gaming doesn’t have to be expensive at all.
There are services that offer gamers the opportunity to buy refurbished consoles, accessories and other gear, which can provide substantial discounts, as long as you don’t mind the potential risks inherent in purchasing refurbished equipment.
In a similar vein, while the games available on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 might not be as shiny as the newest releases, they can still provide you with hours of fun.
PC gaming in particular has an enormous back catalogue of games that can be run on modern machines, but that cost a fraction of what a new release title does.
Use Gift Cards To Reduce Costs
An innovative way that some gamers are experimenting with to reduce the costs associated with their hobby is using gift cards to pay off some or all of the cost of the games or content they want.
There are plenty of platforms that let users earn gift cards by taking marketing surveys, such as BrandBee, and those gift cards can be used for all sorts of different things.
Many of the most popular types of gift cards that get picked up are for PayPal or Google Play, which can easily be used for gaming purchases or to offset the cost of paying full price for a game.
If you are a gamer who wants to reduce your gaming costs and have a bit of time on your hands, taking some surveys and reaping the gift card rewards could be your ticket to cheaper gaming.
Just Play For Free
It might seem strange, but there is a host of free-to-play games, many of which are among the most popular games on the market.
Games like Fortnite and Marvel Rivals are totally free to play, and have very large and active user bases. They do require you to have a gaming platform to play them on and a decent internet connection, as well as some skill, but otherwise, you don’t have to pay a cent.
Free-to-play gaming does sound great, but almost all free-to-play games do offer players the option to pay for cosmetic skins, battle passes, and other sorts of content.
So as long as you can weather the storm of FOMO that comes with seeing other people using cool character skins in-game, you’ll be safe from spending any money on some great free-to-play titles.
Final Thoughts
If you want to save money but aren’t prepared to sacrifice gaming as a hobby, then you don’t need to! As you can see, there are plenty of different ways to save money and stay gaming, from being patient and waiting for sales to playing for free or taking some surveys and earning gift cards to offset your gaming costs.
