What’s the best way to check a game’s price history before buying to ensure a true deal?
The Art of the True Deal: Why Price History is Your Best Friend
In the vast and ever-growing world of video games, sales and discounts are a constant. Developers and publishers frequently drop prices to entice new players, but not all deals are created equal. Without understanding a game’s price history, you might mistakenly jump on a “sale” that’s actually its regular price or, worse, miss out on a truly significant discount. Checking a game’s past pricing trends is the ultimate secret weapon for any savvy gamer looking to ensure they’re securing a genuine bargain.
This approach transforms you from a reactive buyer to a proactive deal hunter, letting you discern between fleeting promotional hype and a legitimate opportunity to save money. It’s about making informed decisions that maximize your gaming budget.
Essential Tools for Uncovering Price History
Fortunately, you don’t need to manually track prices over months. A suite of powerful online tools and platforms are designed precisely for this purpose, aggregating data from various digital storefronts.
Dedicated Price Tracking Websites
- IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD): Often considered the gold standard for PC games, ITAD aggregates prices from numerous authorized digital retailers (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Humble Store, etc.). It displays historical low prices, current sales, and lets you set custom price alerts.
- GG.deals: Similar to ITAD, GG.deals provides extensive price history for PC games, including information on official storefronts and sometimes reputable key resellers. It’s excellent for comparing current deals across platforms.
- DekuDeals (Nintendo Switch): A must-have for Switch owners, DekuDeals tracks eShop prices, physical game deals, and price history, showing you the lowest prices a game has ever reached.
- PSNProfiles (PlayStation): While primarily a trophy tracking site, PSNProfiles also offers robust PlayStation Store price history for individual games, allowing you to see past discounts and current sales.
- SteamDB (PC – Steam): An indispensable database for Steam users, SteamDB offers detailed price history graphs for every game on the platform, including regional pricing, bundle history, and even estimated player counts.
Browser Extensions & In-Store Features
Beyond dedicated sites, some browser extensions and even the storefronts themselves offer quick insights:
- Enhanced Steam (Browser Extension): For Steam users, this extension integrates price history graphs directly into Steam store pages, making it incredibly convenient to check historical data without leaving the site.
- Storefront Watchlists: Many digital stores (Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop) allow you to add games to a wishlist. While not showing historical data directly, they often notify you when a wishlisted item goes on sale, which can be a good starting point for further price history investigation.
Interpreting Price Data for Maximum Savings
Having the data is one thing; understanding it is another. Here’s how to make sense of the price history to guarantee a true deal:
- Identify the All-Time Low: The most crucial data point is a game’s lowest historical price. Aim to buy a game when it hits or approaches this price.
- Recognize Sale Patterns: Games often go on sale during specific periods (e.g., seasonal sales like Summer/Winter Sales, Black Friday, publisher sales). Observe these patterns to predict future discounts.
- Distinguish Regular Discounts from Deep Cuts: Some games frequently go on sale for 25-50% off. A “true deal” might be 60-75% off or even higher, especially for older titles. Compare the current discount percentage to its historical maximum discount.
- Consider Editions and Bundles: Sometimes, a “Deluxe Edition” or a game in a bundle might offer a better overall value, even if the base game isn’t at its all-time low. Check if the price history tools track these as well.
Tips for Savvy Shoppers
- Set Price Alerts: Almost all price tracking sites offer email alerts. Set them for your most anticipated games at your desired price point.
- Be Patient: Unless it’s a new release you absolutely can’t wait for, patience is often rewarded. Most games will eventually see significant discounts.
- Cross-Platform Check: Even if you prefer one platform, quickly check prices on others using tools like ITAD or GG.deals, as one might have a better deal.
Conclusion
Checking a game’s price history before buying is more than just a frugal habit; it’s an intelligent strategy that ensures you’re always getting the best value for your entertainment dollar. By leveraging the wealth of online tools available and understanding how to interpret price data, you can confidently navigate the often-confusing landscape of game sales. Stop guessing and start knowing – your wallet will thank you, and your gaming library will grow with truly well-bought titles.
