Today, gaming is an incredibly popular pastime. But there’s no denying the fact that, under certain circumstances, it can also be a particularly costly one. This is especially true if you’re interested in buying and playing the latest releases on the newest consoles, with select triple-A games now retailing for over £70!
But fear not, as much of the success of the modern games industry is built upon providing easier and more affordable access to gameplay experiences that don’t skimp on quality. Below we’re going to take a look at some compelling alternatives for you if you’re an ardent gamer who can’t afford deluxe big ticket items like a new PlayStation 5.
Free-to-Play
Otherwise known by the abbreviation F2P, Free-to-play titles are a new and very popular alternative monetization model to the conventional ‘pay to play’ format most of us are used to.
Rather – F2P games give players unfettered access to the core mechanics of their game free of charge. This is different from freemium games, as often with this type of title you have to pay in order to be able to compete or hold your own against other gamers.
Instead, with F2P, you could feasibly become the best player in the world in a given game without having to spend a penny. But that’s not to say there aren’t purchases on offer – it’s just that these are restricted to aesthetic choices, like character skins and other types of customisation options.
This lets those who want to have a bespoke experience pay up for the privilege, while letting the cost-aware free player-base come along for the ride with no questions asked.
Browser Gaming
We’re so used to apps nowadays it can be easy to forget that once upon a time there was seemingly only one way to play casual mini-games – online, on any number of the popular Macromedia Flash game portals that were major hubs of internet traffic in the early 00s. Surprisingly, many of those classic sites are still around, even if the fabled Flash codec has been consigned to history as of 2020.
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This is because a new protocol, HTML5, has largely replaced its duties. Many games have now been ported over to this new protocol, and there are still hundreds of more, and more recent, titles to explore on websites such as Miniclip, Newgrounds and Kongregate – all for free, and all easily accessible.
Though casual mini-games aren’t the only affordable gameplay experience on offer through this medium, in fact those that prefer a little more glamour in their downtime may be keen to know that there are a plethora of accessible igaming and online casino options out there that serve up top tier gameplay with having to spend a penny.
For example, VegasSlotsOnline has established itself as one of the leading ways that budget-conscious gamers can enjoy free online slots available in the UK, enabling you to enjoy all the thrills and variety of this perennially popular game-type, without having to front the costs often associated with it.
Cloud Gaming
Part of the reason modern gaming is so expensive down to all the proprietary hardware required to play it. Whether you’re footing the bill for a new gaming PC, or an Xbox Series X|S, these represent a serious investment – and that’s before you’ve even bought the game! For those that lament this state of affairs, a new technology has come along to potentially alleviate all your troubles.
Known as cloud gaming, this is a type of streaming tech that is little different from what you get when you watch a movie on Netflix. The main difference is that the data travels two ways – in effect, you get to play a gaming PC remotely over the internet, using whatever controller and displays you have at your disposal on your end. It’s easy to see where the cost-saving advantages of this lie.
At present, the best-in-class example of cloud gaming is Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is part of their premium tier Game Pass subscription – Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This gives you access to hundreds of Xbox games, including day-one releases of flagship titles including the new Forza Motorsport, and Halo: Infinite.
