Key Tips for Gaming on a Tight Budget

The pandemic has led to a considerable drop in the global economy, from the stock market to housing, manufacturing, and other industries. It did not skip the gaming industry either. With chip and labor shortages around the world and increasing prices of even the standard electronics, such as graphic cards, it is probably high time for you to consider taking some small steps to save money.

But that does not mean you should give up on following the latest releases and enjoying your favorite games. Instead, you should find ways to spend as little money as possible while still enjoying yourself. From refurbishing your old machine to getting games from third-party stores, there are plenty of ways to do it, even in the current conditions.

No matter the platform of your choice, if you are willing to get creative with your wallet, there is no reason why you cannot have a good time with your favorite games. Game stores such as Steam or PlayStation store are still thriving, and there are many good deals that you can take advantage of. If you want to learn more about gaming on a tight budget, read on!

Find the Best Deal

When it comes to gaming on a budget, there are few things more useful than a good deal. There are plenty of great deals out there and they are often more than enough to get you started with your favorite games.

Christmas time is known for huge discounts on games and other products, so if you have some spare time ahead of the holiday season, you can do a bit of research to find deals that might be useful for you. You can also get a bargain by browsing alternative markets – Kinguin discount codes can help you out if you are late to the party!

Use Appropriate Hardware

Gaming on a tight budget means that you should be very careful with hardware upgrades and always look for the best bang for buck. Your graphics card is the most important component that you are going to upgrade, so always choose the best one that you can afford. At the same time, consider if the upgrade is worth it, as you might be able to get more value by sticking to your current setup.

For instance, in spite of the fact that it has been months since the third generation of Nvidia RTX graphics cards was released, the GTX 1060 is still the most popular graphics card according to the Steam Hardware & Software Survey. And that is understandable, as it offers excellent performance for the price, especially considering that it can still run many games that were released this year at good frame rates. If you are lucky enough to have one, there is no need for you to spend money on a new graphics card.

Check Free-To-Play Games

Although some people would disagree, there are plenty of great games that you can play for free. Fewer and fewer companies release demo versions of their games, instead focusing on providing games that are free to play and bring in profits thanks to microtransactions and advertisements. Two prime examples of that are Fortnite and Dota 2, both of which are incredibly popular in the gaming community, and provide the same experience as their full-priced counterparts.

As you play on a tight budget, you should be aware that certain games implement an invisible paywall in the form of in-game purchases. If you are not keen on spending your money, you may find it much harder to progress in the game. So, before you decide to play a free-to-play game, you should check its reviews to see if it is balanced or if it is designed to force you to spend money.

Refurbish Your Old Machine

While it may seem that you need the latest hardware to run your favorite games, you do not actually need anything too fancy. As long as you have a decent processor, graphics card, and enough RAM, you can play a large number of the latest titles at a satisfying frame rate. That is where refurbishing comes in handy!

Many people sell their old gaming PCs on websites such as eBay or Craigslist and you can pick one up for a reasonable price. They are still more expensive than they were just a few years ago, unfortunately, but as mentioned above, graphic cards from four-five years ago can still run most games on mid or high settings.

Switch to Another Platform

As we’ve said above, the PC is still the dominant platform for gaming, but there are other platforms that you can switch to. Game consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox are still in business, and not surprisingly, they are on the rise. With backward compatibility and a huge library of games, they can be a great choice for everyone that is looking to spend less money on gaming.

But if you need your machine for other purposes, such as your work or school, you can always consider switching to a laptop. As the horrendous GPU prices stem from the mining craze, gaming laptops are relatively cheap and offer great value for the price. Of course, that does not mean you can get a gaming laptop for the price of a GPU alone, but as you get other benefits such as portability, it could be a worthwhile upgrade.

In Conclusion

The world is in an economic crisis, and it is only natural that you want to get the best bang for the buck. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save money on gaming. From refurbishing your old PC to getting the best deals on games, there are plenty of things you can do to make your hobby much more affordable!