Let’s face it. The Xbox store is not known for its deals. While it does offer discounts from time to time, the discounts are not nearly as good as Steam’s deals. You’re lucky to get 50% off on popular holidays like Black Friday.
It’s frustrating when you’re broke and can’t afford to pay full price for a game that you’ve been looking forward to. As someone who rarely pays full price for a game (who has $70 lying around these days?!) I found some neat ways to buy cheap Xbox games.
These tips can save you up to 90% on certain games. So, without further delay, let’s get into the list of ways to buy cheap Xbox games.
1. Use a VPN to Redeem Codes in Other Countries
This tip will help you save the most money. Most people don’t know that you can redeem Xbox games for other regions for heavy discounts. To do this, browse a third-party game store, I like G2A.
Sort the list for region-locked codes, Argentina usually offers the lowest prices. G2A will warn you that these games can only be activated in a specific region. Just ignore that.
Once you bought a game, activate your VPN, and change your VPN region to the game’s region. Next, head to Microsoft.com with your VPN activated and sign in. Head over to the Redeem Code section and input the digital key that you bought.
Once the game is linked to your account, disable the VPN, and restart your Xbox. Locate the game in your Xbox’s Full Library and download it.
For a full tutorial, read how to buy Xbox games from Argentina.
2. Browse Third Party Stores for Digital Codes
You can find some great deals on third-party stores. Just look for games for your region and compare the prices to the Xbox Store. If you prefer not to use a VPN, then this is your next best method to buy cheap Xbox games.
Keep in mind, that some third-party stores are not legitimate. If you’re wondering which websites are worth focusing your attention on, I tried G2A, Eneba, and CD-Keys.
I can confirm that those three are legitimate and I haven’t had issues with them. Use common sense when searching for cheap Xbox games.
3. Buy Games with Game Pass Discounts
While Game Pass unlocks access to hundreds of games, the game that you want might not be on Game Pass. It’s worth checking Xbox’s Deals with Game Pass category to see if your subscription can get you any discounts. There are discounts on games already on Game Pass as well as non-Game Pass titles.
The good news is when you buy a game with this method it will be linked to your account forever, even if your Game Pass subscription expires. With Xbox Deals with Game Pass, you can expect a 20 to 50% discount.
You also don’t need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access these deals, the base Game Pass Core subscription offers them too.
4. Add to Games to Wish List and Wait for Sales
Not everyone has enough patience for this method. If you don’t want to use a VPN to buy digital game codes from other regions, add a game to your wish list and wait for a sale. When an item on your wishlist is on sale, you will receive an email letting you know, assuming you enabled notifications.
Xbox usually has sales on most major holidays, Black Friday being the biggest. You might need to wait for a while. It often takes a year or more for new games to be on sale, and the discounts are usually in the 20% to 30% range. Still, it’s the easiest way to buy the game you want.
5. Check Clearance Bins
Many chain stores like Walmart and Best Buy have clearance bins with heavily discounted games. Granted, these games are usually older and for previous generations of consoles, but there are often some good discounts. What’s great about Xbox is it is backward compatible. The Xbox Series can run Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.
One thing to keep in mind about clearance bins is they only have physical copies of games. So, if you have a digital-only console like the Xbox Series S, you won’t be able to take advantage of these deals. Of course, if you have an Xbox Series X, you have nothing to worry about.
If you live next to one of these stores, it’s worth checking the clearance bins from time to time. It might even be worth doing a drive to the nearest one. You could get lucky and score an Xbox expansion card too.
6. Check the Second-Hand Market
From time to time, you can snag some games from the second-hand marketplace. When people move countries they often dump their game collection, which can be yours. Once again, this only applies to Xbox Series X owners who can use the console’s disc drive.
Take a peak at second-hand marketplaces like Craigslist, Facebook, eBay, or any other region-specific store. Make sure to double-check the quality of the CDs because a few scratches could render the game useless. Browsing the second-hand marketplace is a great way to buy cheap Xbox games.
7. Split the Cost with Xbox Game Share
Do you have a friend who also owns an Xbox? You don’t? Well, continue reading this when you make one. Xbox allows you to share games between two people. So, when one of you buys a game, the other person gets a copy too.
To use this method to get cheap Xbox games you can simply split a game between the two of you. Better yet, find a heavily discounted game and then split the price two ways. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that. Of course, you need to have a friend who is willing to split the cost with you.
If this is the first time you’ve heard about Xbox Game Share, this article explains how to set it up. You can even share a Game Pass Ultimate subscription!
The Bottom Line
So, now you know how to buy cheap Xbox games. You don’t have to always pay full price for games you know! In fact, it’s probably better not to jump on the new-game launch hype because most new games are disappointing (to say the least).
Be patient, do a little bargain hunting, and you can save a lot of money on Xbox games. I mean, I think Microsoft makes more than enough money. Don’t feel bad about cutting them out of a few dollars. Besides, they have all your personal data, anyway.
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