How to save money on video games in 2026
Save on your favourite games with my handy guide
Gaming is one of my favourite hobbies, and it's becoming more and more expensive as the years go by. The price of games is constantly rising, and gaming subscriptions are in flux. It can be hard to maintain this hobby while the cost of living is constantly going up.
That's why I've put together this guide to help you save where you can and continue gaming without worry.
How can I set up a gaming budget?
While setting up a budget might sound scary, it's actually easier than ever, thanks to the many options available to buy video games and the many budgeting apps that are currently available.
Thankfully, we've gathered everything you need to know about the very best budgeting apps available. From Plum, MoneyBox, Emma and more, we cover the pros and cons of a handful of budgeting apps to help you make the right choice that suits you.
How to pick up video games on a budget
Shop at different stores
This may sound like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at the discounts you'll find when you pick up a video game from a store that don't solely sell games. Your go-to store may be sites like GAME but I would suggest looking at sites like Smyths Toys Superstores, Argos and Currys. They generally sell their games at a lower price.
Join a loyalty programme
Some websites will offer fantastic rewards when signing up for their loyalty scheme. As an example, The Game Collection will reward you with points on every purchase you make.
You'll earn 10 points for each £1 you spend, and once you earn 400 points, you'll be able to get a £1 discount. They also offer £10 worth of points when you pre-order a selected handful of games. I've personally used this scheme and nabbed myself a £12 discount on a game.
Sign up for a gaming subscription
The gaming subscription landscape has changed drastically over the last few years, seeing an explosion in just how many are now available to us. It can seem daunting to choose the right one, but luckily, we've done all the hard work for you and put together an extensive piece, breaking down all of the major gaming subscriptions and telling you what to expect from them.
Subscriptions are a great way to gain access to 100s of video games at a relatively low price every month.
Shop second-hand
This one may seem like a no-brainer but it's getting harder to pick up second-hand video games nowadays, with GAME no longer selling pre-owned games (which means you can also no longer sell games back to them). Thankfully, stores like CEX and eBay have picked up the slack, providing you with ways to still purchase games at a lower price than brand-new copies.
Weigh up physical and digital versions
Digital gaming has come a long way since the days of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Back then, it was a miracle when you could download a game that looked and played half decent, but now it's standard, with many consoles only have digital options.
But if you still have a disc tray with your console, you've got more options to save. You're not bound to the digital storefront of your chosen console and patiently waiting for a Summer or Winter sale to make games barely affordable.
It's always worth checking out the price of physical games; sometimes you'll get lucky and find that a physical version is vastly cheaper than digital or vice versa. We've looked into this phenomenon ourselves and researched the pros and cons of both physical and digital games.
Product keys
Product keys have been around for a while, but are still a hot new commodity to many gamers. Product keys can look and sound scary, but you're basically buying a code for a game from third-party sellers.
Many people wonder if these sites, like Loaded (previously known as CDKeys) is legit, but we've found them to be perfectly safe. These games are usually heavily discounted compared to buying new games from Steam, Xbox Marketplace, etc., due to sellers buying keys in bulk.
Wait a month or two
And the winner for the most obvious answer goes to...
In all seriousness, it's surprising how cheap games can get once you leave it a month or two. If you're not in any rush to buy the sparkly new entry in your favourite franchise or the exciting new original IP, I wouldn't bother picking it up day one.
Games can drastically drop in value after those few initial weeks, and with many games launching at £70 now (£80, if you're Nintendo), you'd be burning through your wallet in a matter of no time.
Back in 2024, I picked up Star Wars Outlaws. It launched at a whopping £70. I didn't pick it up until 2 months later, when it was £25 and is still sitting around that price today.
Final thoughts
If there's anything you leave this article with today, I would suggest shopping around. Don't stick with one shop because of convenience. Have a look through shops that aren't really known for selling games, compare the price of digital games to physical and look for reward schemes.
Every little helps when it comes to saving on video games. Let's keep your favourite hobby alive and well in 2026.
For all other offers, we have our own discount code pages to save even more on your video game purchases.
When you click on one of our links to our discount code pages or a retailer page, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Here's how it works. Prices mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing. All prices were correct at time of writing this article.
