Which price tracker is best for finding historical low game deals on PC & console?

The Hunt for Historical Lows: Why Price Tracking Matters

In the vast and ever-expanding world of PC and console gaming, finding the perfect deal can feel like a sport. With thousands of titles across numerous storefronts, prices fluctuate constantly, making it hard to know if you’re truly getting the best value. This is where a reliable price tracker becomes an invaluable tool. By monitoring price history, these services can tell you when a game hits its historical low, ensuring you snag titles at their absolute cheapest.

Whether you’re a patient gamer waiting for that coveted AAA title to drop or a budget-conscious enthusiast looking to expand your indie collection, understanding which trackers excel on each platform is crucial. Let’s dive into the best options for both PC and console gamers.

Top Price Trackers for PC Game Deals

PC gaming benefits from a highly competitive digital marketplace, with storefronts like Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Humble Bundle, Fanatical, and Green Man Gaming frequently offering sales. Dedicated trackers help cut through the noise.

IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD)

Widely regarded as the gold standard for PC game tracking, IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD) is a must-have. It aggregates prices from over 100 official storefronts and authorized resellers, displaying current prices alongside detailed historical data. You can create a wishlist, receive email alerts for price drops, and filter by platform, store, and even DRM type. Its comprehensive price history charts make it easy to see if a current sale truly represents a historical low.

CheapShark

CheapShark offers a similar, streamlined experience to ITAD. It focuses on quickly showing the lowest current prices across major PC digital stores. While its historical data might not be as granular as ITAD’s, it’s excellent for a quick glance at today’s best deals and for setting up simple price alerts.

Store-Specific Tools (SteamDB, Epic Games Store Wishlist)

For PC gamers, leveraging platform-specific tools can also be beneficial. SteamDB provides incredible detail on Steam game prices, including regional pricing, bundles, and historical lows directly within the Steam ecosystem. Similarly, the Epic Games Store and GOG have built-in wishlists that notify you of sales, though they lack the robust historical data of dedicated trackers.

Best Trackers for Console Game Deals

Console digital storefronts (PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop) are often more closed ecosystems, but excellent dedicated trackers exist to help you find historical lows.

DekuDeals (Nintendo Switch)

For Nintendo Switch owners, DekuDeals is simply indispensable. It tracks both digital eShop prices and physical cartridge prices from major retailers. Its robust features include detailed price history charts, the ability to filter by region, a comprehensive wishlist, and email alerts for desired price drops. It’s the go-to for finding historical lows on Switch titles, physical or digital.

PSDeals (PlayStation)

PSDeals is the premier tracker for PlayStation games. It covers both PS4 and PS5 titles, offering detailed price history, sale alerts, and a robust wishlist feature. You can track prices across different regions, which is especially useful for finding the absolute lowest price if you have multiple regional accounts.

Xbox Deals

While not as feature-rich as DekuDeals or PSDeals, sites like Xbox’s official deals page and community-driven sites like TrueAchievements’ sales tracker can help identify current discounts. For deeper historical data, some cross-platform trackers like CheapShark do include Xbox digital prices, though less comprehensively than dedicated console trackers.

Key Features to Look for in a Price Tracker

When choosing the best price tracker for your needs, consider these essential features:

• Price History Charts: The most crucial feature. A visual representation of past prices helps you understand typical discounts and whether a current sale is truly exceptional.
• Email/Browser Notifications: Set up alerts for specific games or desired discount percentages, so you’re notified instantly when a price drops.
• Wishlist Functionality: Keep track of all the games you want across various platforms and stores in one centralized place.
• Multi-Store Comparison: Especially vital for PC, comparing prices across numerous digital storefronts ensures you find the absolute lowest price.
• Regional Pricing Support: For console gamers, tracking deals across different regional stores can sometimes uncover better prices.

Tips for Maximizing Your Savings

Even with the best price trackers, a few strategies can help you push your savings further:

• Patience is Key: Many games eventually hit significant discounts. If you’re not in a hurry, waiting for a historical low will often pay off.
• Combine with Major Sales: Trackers are most powerful during big seasonal sales (e.g., Steam Summer/Winter Sales, PlayStation’s Days of Play, Black Friday).
• Consider Bundles: Services like Humble Bundle often offer incredible value for multiple games. Trackers can help determine the bundle’s worth if you only want a few titles.
• Check Physical vs. Digital: Especially for consoles, sometimes physical copies can be found cheaper than digital downloads, even when on sale. DekuDeals excels at this comparison for Switch.
• Browser Extensions: Many price trackers offer browser extensions that automatically show price history and comparisons when you view a game on a storefront.

Conclusion: Your Ultimate Deal-Finding Toolkit

For PC gamers, IsThereAnyDeal stands out as the most comprehensive solution for finding historical low game deals. Its extensive store coverage and detailed price history are unmatched. Console gamers have excellent specialized options: DekuDeals for Nintendo Switch and PSDeals for PlayStation. While Xbox lacks a single dominant tracker, combining official deals pages with cross-platform tools can still yield results.

By leveraging these powerful price trackers, setting up wishlists and alerts, and exercising a bit of patience, you’ll be well-equipped to snap up those dream games at their historical low prices, ensuring your gaming library grows without breaking the bank.