How to track game sales & get alerts for wishlist titles on all platforms?
Never Miss a Deal: Your Ultimate Guide to Game Sales Tracking
In the vast and ever-expanding world of video games, sales are a constant, offering incredible opportunities to expand your library without breaking the bank. However, keeping track of fluctuating prices across Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo eShop, and various third-party retailers can feel like a full-time job. Thankfully, a suite of powerful tools and strategies exists to help you effortlessly monitor prices, compare deals, and get instant alerts for your most coveted wishlist titles.
Leveraging Native Platform Wishlists
Most major digital storefronts offer their own wishlist features, which are your first line of defense against missing a sale. While their alert capabilities vary, they’re essential for organizing your desired games.
Steam
Steam’s wishlist is robust. When a game on your wishlist goes on sale, you’ll typically receive an email notification. It’s a fundamental tool for PC gamers.
PlayStation Store & Xbox Store
Both PlayStation and Xbox offer wishlist functionalities. You can add games, and while direct email alerts for sales aren’t always guaranteed for every region or game, they often integrate with their respective app notifications.
Nintendo eShop
Nintendo’s eShop has a “Watch List” feature, but it’s less about sales alerts and more for keeping track of upcoming titles. For sale notifications, you’ll need to look externally.
The Power of Third-Party Aggregators and Price Trackers
For truly comprehensive tracking across *all* platforms and retailers, third-party services are indispensable. These platforms consolidate deals from numerous stores, often providing price history, comparison tools, and custom alert systems.
IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD)
Considered by many to be the gold standard, IsThereAnyDeal.com tracks prices from dozens of PC game stores (Steam, Epic, GOG, Humble, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, etc.). You can import your Steam wishlist, create custom lists, and set up email alerts for price drops, historical lows, or specific discount percentages. ITAD also often links to console deals for comparison, though its primary focus is PC.
GG.deals
Similar to ITAD, GG.deals offers extensive price comparison, historical data, and a robust wishlist system for PC games. It integrates well with browser extensions and provides a clean interface for tracking current sales and upcoming releases.
CheapShark
CheapShark.com is another excellent aggregator focusing primarily on PC game deals. It provides a straightforward interface for finding the best current prices and offers email alerts for specific games.
Deku Deals (Nintendo Switch)
For Nintendo Switch owners, DekuDeals.com is an absolute must-have. It meticulously tracks prices for digital and physical Switch games across various retailers, providing price history, custom wishlists, and email alerts—something the eShop lacks natively.
PS Deals / Xbox Deals
While ITAD and GG.deals cover some console aspects, dedicated sites like PS Deals (for PlayStation) and various community-driven Xbox deal trackers offer more granular control and focus specifically on those ecosystems.
Setting Up Your Ultimate Alert System
Combining these tools allows you to build a powerful, automated system:
- Curate Your Wishlists: Start by adding every game you’re interested in to your native platform wishlists (Steam, Xbox, PlayStation).
- Import to Aggregators: Link your Steam wishlist to IsThereAnyDeal or GG.deals. Manually add console games to their respective trackers (e.g., Deku Deals for Switch).
- Configure Email Alerts: Set up email alerts on your chosen aggregators for price drops, specific thresholds, or when games hit historical lows. This is where you get the “instant” notification.
- Install Browser Extensions: Many aggregators offer browser extensions that display price history or compare prices directly on store pages, saving you clicks.
- Regularly Check Deal Hubs: Even with alerts, a quick scan of the main pages of ITAD, GG.deals, or Deku Deals can reveal surprising flash sales or bundles you might not have set alerts for.
Pro Tips for Maximizing Your Savings
- Patience is Key: Almost every game goes on sale eventually. Unless it’s a brand new release you can’t wait for, waiting a few weeks or months can save you significant money.
- Check Price History: Before buying, always look at a game’s price history (available on most aggregators). This helps you determine if a “sale” is truly a good deal or if it’s been cheaper before.
- Consider Bundles: Keep an eye on sites like Humble Bundle and Fanatical for game bundles that offer multiple titles for a fraction of their individual cost.
- Regional Pricing: Be aware that prices and sales can vary significantly by region.
- Don’t Forget Physical: For console games, physical copies can often drop in price faster than digital versions. Keep an eye on retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop.
Conclusion
Tracking game sales across multiple platforms no longer needs to be a daunting task. By utilizing a combination of native wishlist features and powerful third-party aggregators, you can create a personalized, automated system that ensures you’re always informed about the best deals. Stop paying full price and start building your dream game library smarter, not harder.
