What are the best tools to track game sales & ensure I never miss a wishlist discount?
Never Miss a Bargain: The Ultimate Guide to Tracking Game Sales
In the vast and ever-expanding world of video games, sales and discounts are a frequent occurrence. For savvy gamers, catching these deals can mean saving a significant amount of money and expanding your game library without breaking the bank. But with so many digital storefronts and thousands of titles, how do you stay on top of price drops and ensure you never miss that coveted wishlist discount? This article will guide you through the best tools and strategies to become a master of game deal hunting.
Why Smart Game Sale Tracking is Essential
Beyond the obvious financial savings, effective game sale tracking offers several benefits:
- Budget Management: Stretch your gaming budget further by only purchasing games when they hit an attractive price point.
- Wishlist Fulfillment: Instantly know when a game you’ve been eyeing finally goes on sale.
- Discovery: Sometimes, tracking tools can highlight deals on games you hadn’t even considered.
- Informed Decisions: Price history charts help you determine if a current ‘deal’ is genuinely good or if you should wait for a deeper discount.
The Top Tools for Tracking Game Sales and Wishlist Discounts
1. IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD)
IsThereAnyDeal (ITAD) is widely considered the gold standard for tracking game prices across dozens of digital storefronts including Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Humble Store, Green Man Gaming, and many more. You can import your Steam wishlist, create custom watchlists, and set up email notifications for specific price drops or all-time lows. ITAD also features price history graphs, bundle information, and metacritic scores, making it an indispensable resource for any deal hunter.
2. GG.deals
Similar to ITAD, GG.deals provides comprehensive price comparison, historical data, and deal alerts across numerous platforms. Its interface is clean and user-friendly, offering features like “expected lowest price” and “how long until the next sale.” You can easily connect your Steam account and import your wishlist to get personalized notifications, ensuring you’re always informed about the best current and upcoming offers.
3. Steam Wishlist & Notifications
For PC gamers, your Steam wishlist is your first line of defense. Steam itself provides email notifications when a game on your wishlist goes on sale. While it only covers Steam’s own sales, it’s a fundamental feature that every Steam user should utilize. Make sure your email preferences are set to receive these notifications, especially during major seasonal sales like the Summer Sale, Winter Sale, and Black Friday.
4. Other Digital Storefront Wishlists
Don’t forget the built-in wishlist features of other major platforms:
- Epic Games Store: Offers email notifications for wishlist discounts.
- GOG: Similar notification system for DRM-free titles.
- Humble Bundle: Can notify you about games in their store or bundles featuring wishlist titles.
- PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop: Console platforms also have their own wishlist systems and will typically email you about sales.
5. Browser Extensions & Community Sites
Several browser extensions integrate with deal tracking sites or offer their own functionalities. For example, some extensions might show you price history directly on a store page. Additionally, community-driven sites and subreddits like r/GameDeals on Reddit are excellent for real-time deal alerts and discussions. Discord servers dedicated to game deals can also provide instant notifications for fleeting offers or error prices.
Tips for Maximizing Your Deal Hunting Success
- Import All Your Wishlists: Sync your Steam, Epic, GOG, and other wishlists with ITAD or GG.deals for centralized tracking.
- Set Price Alerts: Don’t just track; set specific price thresholds so you only get notified when a game reaches your desired budget.
- Understand Price History: Use the historical data provided by ITAD or GG.deals to identify typical sale patterns and determine if a current sale is truly a good deal.
- Be Patient: Most games will eventually go on sale. If it’s not a must-have right now, waiting often pays off.
- Check Bundles: Keep an eye on sites like Humble Bundle and Fanatical, which frequently offer incredible value through game bundles.
Conclusion
Gone are the days of manually checking countless store pages for price drops. With powerful tools like IsThereAnyDeal and GG.deals, coupled with your platform’s built-in wishlist notifications, you can effortlessly track game sales and ensure you never miss a discount on your most desired titles. By integrating these resources into your gaming routine, you’ll save money, expand your library wisely, and always be ready to jump on the next great gaming bargain.
