What’s the best tool to track historical low prices for PC game deals?
For any savvy PC gamer, snagging a coveted title at its absolute lowest price is the ultimate victory. But with sales happening constantly across various digital storefronts, how do you know if that ‘amazing’ discount is truly the best deal, or if the game has been even cheaper before? The secret lies in tracking historical low prices, and thankfully, several excellent tools make this process straightforward.
The King of Price Tracking: IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD)
When it comes to comprehensive PC game deal aggregation and historical price tracking, IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD) stands out as the undisputed champion. ITAD monitors prices from dozens of legitimate digital storefronts, including Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Humble Store, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, and many more. Its primary strength lies in its meticulous historical data.
Key features that make ITAD indispensable:
- Detailed Price History Graphs: For almost every game, ITAD provides a clear, interactive graph showing its price fluctuations over time. This instantly reveals a game’s previous lowest prices across all monitored stores.
- Personalized Wishlists: Add games to your wishlist and receive email notifications when they drop to a new historical low, or simply when they go on sale at a price you’ve specified.
- Store Aggregation: See the current price of a game across all supported stores at a glance, allowing you to buy from your preferred retailer or the cheapest option.
- Bundle Tracking: It even tracks when games have been part of popular bundles, providing context to their overall value.
A Strong Contender: GG.deals
While ITAD is robust, GG.deals offers a fantastic alternative with a slightly more modern interface and some unique features that appeal to many users. It also aggregates deals from a vast number of official retailers and key sellers, offering a similar level of coverage for PC game prices.
Why GG.deals is worth considering:
- Intuitive Interface: Many users find GG.deals’ layout to be exceptionally clean and easy to navigate, making it a joy to browse for deals.
- Price History & Alerts: Like ITAD, it offers comprehensive price history graphs and allows you to set up email alerts for wishlist titles when they reach desired price points or historical lows.
- Filters and Sorting: Excellent filtering options to quickly find games by genre, platform, price range, and more.
- Giveaways & Free Games: GG.deals often highlights current free game giveaways, adding extra value for frugal gamers.
Other Useful Tools & Strategies
While ITAD and GG.deals cover the vast majority of your needs, a few other resources can complement your price-tracking efforts:
- SteamDB: For Steam-specific insights, SteamDB provides incredibly detailed historical pricing for games on Valve’s platform, including regional prices and information on bundles or package deals. It’s less comprehensive for cross-store comparisons but invaluable for Steam users.
- Browser Extensions: Some browser extensions, like the unofficial Enhanced Steam (though less maintained now), could add price history directly to store pages. Always research and choose extensions carefully for security.
- Dedicated Subreddits: Subreddits like r/GameDeals are community-driven hubs where users post deals as they go live, often highlighting historical lows or particularly good value.
How to Maximize Your Savings
Having the tools is one thing; using them effectively is another. Here are some tips to truly master historical price tracking for PC games:
- Build a Robust Wishlist: Don’t just add games you want to play now; include titles you’re interested in for the future. The longer a game is on your wishlist, the more likely you are to catch it during a significant price drop.
- Set Smart Alerts: Utilize the notification features of ITAD or GG.deals. Set alerts for historical lows, or even for specific price points you’re comfortable with.
- Understand Sales Cycles: Major sales events (Summer Sale, Winter Sale, Black Friday, Halloween) are often when games hit their lowest prices. Keep an eye on the calendar.
- Be Patient: This is perhaps the hardest but most rewarding tip. Almost every game will eventually go on a deep discount if you wait long enough. Patience is your best friend in the world of PC game deals.
Conclusion
Tracking historical low prices for PC game deals is no longer a niche activity; it’s an essential strategy for any budget-conscious gamer. With powerful, user-friendly tools like IsThereAnyDeal and GG.deals at your disposal, you can confidently navigate the vast landscape of digital sales, avoid buyer’s remorse, and build an incredible gaming library without breaking the bank. Happy hunting!
