Best strategies to track specific game price drops on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, & Switch?
Never Miss a Deal: Your Ultimate Guide to Tracking Game Price Drops
For savvy gamers, there’s nothing quite like snagging a highly anticipated title at a significant discount. Waiting for the right price drop can save you a substantial amount of money, but keeping an eye on thousands of games across multiple platforms can feel like a full-time job. Fortunately, a host of tools and strategies exist to make this hunt easier and more effective, ensuring you’re always in the loop when your desired game hits its lowest price.
General Strategies for All Platforms
Before diving into platform-specific tactics, several universal approaches can greatly enhance your price tracking efforts:
- Utilize Official Wishlists: Almost all digital storefronts (Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, Epic Games Store) offer a wishlist feature. Add games you’re interested in, and you’ll often receive email notifications when they go on sale. While basic, it’s a fundamental first step.
- Set Up Price Alert Websites: Third-party websites specialize in aggregating game prices from various retailers and sending custom alerts. These are often the most powerful tools for tracking specific titles across multiple storefronts simultaneously.
- Follow Deal-Focused Social Media Accounts: Accounts like Wario64, CheapAssGamer, and others on platforms like Twitter are excellent for real-time deal alerts, often catching flash sales before dedicated sites update.
PC Gaming: Steam, Epic Games Store, and Beyond
PC gamers have a vast ecosystem of storefronts, making price tracking both complex and rewarding due to intense competition among retailers.
- IsThereAnyDeal.com: This is arguably the most comprehensive PC game price tracker. It monitors dozens of digital storefronts (Steam, Epic, GOG, Humble Store, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, etc.) and allows you to create a personalized watchlist with email alerts for desired price points. You can also connect your Steam wishlist directly.
- Enhanced Steam Browser Extension: While primarily for Steam, this extension adds features like historical low prices directly on store pages, helping you gauge if a current deal is genuinely good.
- SteamDB.info: A powerful database for Steam games, offering detailed price history charts, bundle information, and sale predictions.
Xbox Console: Xbox Store and Retailers
Tracking Xbox deals primarily revolves around the official Xbox Store and major retailers.
- Xbox Wishlist: The native Xbox Store wishlist will notify you of sales directly.
- TrueAchievements.com: Beyond achievement tracking, TrueAchievements has an excellent price tracker for Xbox games. You can add games to your ‘My Games’ list, and it will alert you when they go on sale on the Xbox Store or at select retailers. It also tracks Game Pass additions/removals.
- xbdeals.com: A dedicated site for Xbox deals across various regions, providing price history and alert options.
- Retailer-Specific Alerts: Many major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop allow you to set price alerts for physical copies or digital codes.
PlayStation Console: PS Store and Physical Copies
PlayStation gamers can leverage several resources to catch digital and physical game discounts.
- PlayStation Store Wishlist: Essential for direct notifications from Sony.
- PSDeals.net: This site is a go-to for PlayStation deals, tracking prices on the PlayStation Store across different regions. It offers extensive price history charts and personalized email alerts.
- Push Square / PlayStation Lifestyle: These gaming news sites often report on major PS Store sales, giving you a heads-up on upcoming discounts.
Nintendo Switch: eShop and Physical Games
Nintendo Switch games, especially first-party titles, are notorious for holding their value, making price tracking even more critical.
- Nintendo eShop Wishlist: Like other platforms, adding games here is the first step for official sale notifications.
- DekuDeals.com: This is the undisputed champion for tracking Nintendo Switch game prices. It monitors both digital eShop prices and physical prices across numerous retailers. You can add games to your ‘Collection’ or ‘Wishlist’ and set up comprehensive email alerts for digital and physical discounts, including specific percentage drops or historical lows.
- eShop-Prices.com: A good alternative for quickly checking eShop prices across different regions, often useful for finding the cheapest digital version globally.
Making the Most of Your Tracking Efforts
To maximize your savings, combine several of these strategies. Use official wishlists for baseline notifications, a dedicated price alert website (like IsThereAnyDeal, DekuDeals, or PSDeals) for granular control and historical data, and keep an eye on deal-focused social media for immediate alerts. Patience is key; with these tools at your disposal, you’ll be well-equipped to purchase your desired games at their absolute best prices, enhancing your gaming library without breaking the bank.
