4 ways tried and tested in 2021 to play video games without breaking the bank
Gaming can be an expensive hobby, whether it’s consoles or PC gaming. Peripherals, accessories, or any new games will put a pretty deep hole in our wallets and it’s hard to keep pace for those who just want laid-back fun on the cheap.
Fret not, as there are still plenty of ways to play video games without going broke and we have put together some proven methods that we believe can help you on this journey to enjoy video games without going bankrupt.
Monthly subscription services
Monthly subscription services should be familiar to everyone thanks to Spotify, Disney +, or Netflix, where monthly fees are paid for unlimited use of its content. Yes, gamers have their rigs as well and this is one of the best ways to get the most out of them with minimal expense.
Windows and Xbox users can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, which offers more than 100 quality games such as Minecraft, destiny, Resident Evil 7, Death by the light of day, Grand Theft Auto V and many more titles from all kinds of genres, from action-adventure to shooters or even sports.
There are three different Xbox game passes, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass PC and Xbox Game Pass Console. The PC and console passes both cost S $ 14.90 per month, and each provides their exclusive subscription to their platforms. For S $ 19.9 per month, the Ultimate pass is the full package that gives you access to all games for both platforms.
The PC and Ultimate pass include the EA Play subscription while the Ultimate pass includes Xbox Live Gold, which is required to play online or multiplayer games, so this is a great deal if you are multiplayer. To seal the deal, by June 30, 2021, all you need to do is pay S $ 1 to get three months of Ultimate Pass!
Let’s move on to PlayStation, we have our PlayStationot More, in addition to paying S $ 8.90 per month to play online or multiplayer with your friends, PlayStation Plus offers monthly free games which are exclusive titles that you can hardly imagine playing for free such as Battlefield v (month of May) or even Final Fantasy: Remake few months ago.
PlayStation Plus even gives you digital discounts, exclusive pre-orders, or even access to trials and demos from time to time. PlayStation is also launching its Play at Home initiative which has provided the community with a bunch of permanent free games and short trials to keep gamers busy during these tough times.
A newer entry compared to Xbox and PlayStation, Ubisoft has its Ubisoft + which gives you access to Ubisoft titles for a monthly subscription of US $ 14.99.
What’s special about Ubisoft + is access to their latest titles as soon as they are released, so just imagine playing bigger titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Guard dogs: Legion or Immortals Fenyx Rising right on the release date! While slightly more expensive than the previous two subscriptions, Ubisoft + might be worth a try if they have any upcoming titles you want to get your hands on without splurging on the total price.
Last but not least, Apple Arcade, which just saw its latest expansion of over 30 new games. Apple Arcade is Apple’s huge collection of over 180 mobile games that includes a bunch of originals like FANTASIAN, NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, and Star Trek: Legends as well as timeless board game classics like Backgammon, Royal Checkers and Chess.
The subscription service costs S $ 6.98 per month and you can currently try their one month free trial. If the entire collection is too dominant, you can check out our top five picks that we think could make the subscription really worth your time.
If you’ve just received a new Apple device, you might even have a free 3-month subscription waiting for you.
Shareable cooperative games and couches
Sharing is compassionate, and nothing seems more enjoyable than sitting down with your friends or family for a game session together.
Local multiplayer games are a blast from the past when online multiplayer games weren’t a thing and offer a different kind of bonding and gaming experience at the same time. Depending on its platforms, there are many two to four multiplayer games like Unravel two, Outwards, Don’t starve together and Rocket league where you can play locally while sharing the same screen, you may need to spend a bit more on additional controllers.
Fighting games like Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Strive (coming out June 11) or DRAGON BALL FighterZ, which are available on most platforms, are classic split screen versus games if you want some of that PVP action.
Or, original board games from Jackbox games (best bought through Steam) is the ultimate choice as it gives you lots of different charades type games in one party pack and only the host needs to buy while the rest can just connect for free.
Likewise, there are also larger titles such as Output and It takes two (read our review), where only one person has to buy the game before sharing the “ friend pass ” with the other party to play together. Technically, it’s two games for the price of one and you can enjoy them together.
Free games
Free games are a genre in itself thanks to the large amount of titles and nothing can save as much money as free games. No matter what platform you are on, there are probably enough free games out there that will catch your interest and we’ll just help you out with a few here!
Mobile titles have the largest collection of free games available on the platform and there are all kinds of genres for all types of gamers. If you like to team up and fight against each other in fast-paced battles, then the Online Multiplayer Battle Arena (MOBA) Mobile legends or League of Legends: Wild Rift are your perfect options.
If you like shooting games or battle royale games in general, then PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile, where you put your shooting skills to the test against players around the world, and the last man standing wins.
For those who prefer slower paced games, card games might be the perfect alternative. Whether it’s collecting the rarest cards or building the most powerful decks, take on your opponents in the Warcraft collectible card game, Fireplace, Yu Gi Oh! Duel links, or League of Legends spin off Legends of Runeterra.
Besides mobile games, don’t be surprised that PC gaming also has an abundance of free games. Iconic MOBA games such as DOTA and League of Lfate are great games in which you will find yourself for hours without knowing that it is already 3 a.m.
For shooters, there is Warframe and Destiny 2 for those who love the sci-fi genre. Futuristic Battle Royale, Apex Legends and the last competitive 5v5 Valuing are also some of the best shooting games played right now and are completely free with battle pass bonuses.
Want to invest in something a little longer term? Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) may be what you are looking for and some of the best titles are free. Path of exile is a great action RPG game and an alternative that you can play to keep the wait ahead Diablo IV and science fiction fans can also surround themselves with the immersive galactic tales of Star Wars: The Old Republic or explore the space in EVE online. Classic 2D charm, Maple story or Guild Wars 2 with a new expansion coming up, it’s also worth considering returning.
Free trials / demos
The following free games are free trials and demos! A method which is not new, free demos are a traditional way for publishers to give players a taste of their games before they make their purchases. While this doesn’t give you long hours of playtime like the others, it’s still a great way for you to try out some of the latest games available.
World of warcraft” class=”wp-image-150658″ srcset=”https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797.jpg 957w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-640×384.jpg 640w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-768×461.jpg 768w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-370×222.jpg 370w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-270×162.jpg 270w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-570×342.jpg 570w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-834×500.jpg 834w, https://geekculture.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/world-of-warcraft-reckful-tribute-e1593765967797-900×540.jpg 900w” sizes=”(max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px”/>Since we were talking about free MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XIV and World of warcraft are probably two of the biggest titles of this genre that have always welcomed new players. Although they are subscription based, they do offer free trials up to a certain level and it is worth a try, especially for Final Fantasy XIV where you can play through the base game up to level 60! A bonus mention, Black desert who has a 30 day trial could also be worth a check.
One of the latest third person shooter games under the same publisher as Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix), Riders is also available for a free demo on most of its platforms and should guarantee around three hours of playtime.
Demos for PlayStation and Xbox will likely require you to subscribe to their subscriptions to access these free trials.
For PC gamers, Steam is the ultimate platform for you to find a lot of demos to play. Whether this is the new dodge ball game Knockout City or more independent titles such as Until we die or Factorio, there is a huge list of games that you can filter based on your game type and you probably won’t be able to complete them all.
That said, Epic games has attracted tons of new users through their generosity to the gaming community and they are exemplary in offering free games or trials.
Epic Games has done what no other platform has been able to do, which is to provide players with free games every month and with the amount of money they invest for it, you know for sure that the headlines will only get bigger.
They have already given great titles in the past like Alien Isolation, Civilization VI, Grand Theft Auto V and ARK: Survival Evolved, so make sure you are signed up with an account and monitor free games every month.
Be sure to check out their Epic Games MEGA 2021 sale, you can redeem a US $ 10 coupon right off the bat and get NBA 2K21 completely free!
Finally we have GOG.com which has a lot of retro games to consult. Retro means that it often works wonderfully on aging systems, but will still be able to provide you with a lot of fun. Ultima will easily take a long time.
Now that we’ve shared some of our favorite ways to keep playing low cost, it’s time for you to give them a try and see which one is best for you!
Zheng Yi is constantly in search of the Time Stone to juggle his love for toys, cartoons, comics, games, and photography. He probably needs the Space Stone for his collection…
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