Topic: Is anyone else too broke to afford newer gaming?

I'm too broke for even an Xbox One - Does Anyone else find themselves in my situation? I mean, Who here is tired of HIGH prices? Everywhere I look, an Xbox One that works and looks ok is well into the $200 range. As a teenage teenager that's out of work, this is infuriating . Anyone got any suggestions?

@Depresso1760 honestly no i'm not, i have a steady income so it's not an issue for me ANYMORE

You see i was unemployed until last year so i know all to well how hard gaming on a budget can be

All i can say is when it comes to games buy used or wait for digital sales if you're a digital person and as for consoles perhaps see if any friends or family have one to sell or perhaps loan you the money and set up a weekly/monthly payment plan at a rate you can an afford

@Depresso1760 While I do have the money for it, since I'm a university student and living on loans I shouldn't be spending my money all willy-nilly. Especially considering how high the prices are for Series X/PS5 due to its low availability. I would never in a million years spend €800 for a PS5, or for a Series X for that matter. I do want to eventually get both consoles though.

My recommendation is to save up for a Series S and subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate. That way you're also prepared for next-gen games and have access to a vast library of Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games. I think there's also an ongoing deal of buying three years of Xbox Live Gold and converting that to three years of Game Pass Ultimate, which is much cheaper option rather than outright buying three years of GPU. But yeah, GPU is definitely the way to go since you only need to pay on average like €10 each month for gaming. You don't have to worry about buying a full game at €60 each time, or multiple AAA games at €20 each. There are already tons of those titles on GPU so if you don't have a lot of money, I'd highly recommend using this approach.

@FullbringIchigo Long time no see! I haven't seen you here for over a year now I feel like. How have you been?

(I'm KratosMD from PushSquare btw. I left the site last year and decided to hang out here instead)

@LtSarge i have been fine thanks, taking a nice long break was a good thing but i have only recently started to engage in the comments again (still not gone back to Push Square though) how about you, how you been?

Also i too am still trying to get a Series X but good news is i did manage to get a PS5 day one, i was one of the lucky ones

@LtSarge @FullbringIchigo Good to see you too again. I haven't been on Push Square for awhile now. I still pop in with a comment here and there once in awhile but honestly I don't even check the site anymore then once a month or even more. Just something about that place changed over the last year or so (so did Nintendolife by that's another story) and it's just not the same place anymore. People are alot ruder and the fanboyism is out of hand their. Honestly since I retired there doesn't even seem to be a mod there anymore. Anyway I don't want to derail this thread so hit me up guys in the chit chat thread if this site has one. It's good seeing familar faces.

Anyway back on topic here. Yes gaming can be quite expensive even back during the NES days it was. I remember only getting games for Christmas, and birthdays and maybe the occasional one I save up my allowence for.

The best advice I can say is buy stuff used to help save you some money. Also check Craigslist or Facebook offer you might find a cheap Xbox One system there that someone is getting rid of. If you are between jobs maybe do some odd jobs for people to get some money and save up, offer to mow lawns, walk dogs etc. If you have any old games that you don't play anymore or even systems see about trading them in towards the purchase of an Xbox One you'd be surprised at now much they could bring the price down.

Gaming on a budget is a topic I am very interested in.
I am not that familiar with the X-box ecosystem since I only have a Series S but the only think that makes sense if you are in a tight budget is get a Series S for 300 euros in order to have a console for the whole generation, subscribe to game pass, so you always have something to play, and keep a look for digital sales.
From the Sony point of view get a used OG PS4 for ~200 euros and keep a look for digital sales and the used market.
If you are a retro gamer in a budget invest in the chiepest systems like PS2, Gameboy etc.

I doubt I game on the budget (I am on a budget though as I save for a house) the OP is talking about but sales are your friend. I always try to keep a hobby job as well (I know multiple jobs isn’t always something others can do but it is an option. Doesn’t have to be anything major. I used to sling pizzas snd worked for gamestop and Fedex even after becoming gainfully employed. Was at Amazon until Mr. Rona showed up.) because even if you can afford it you don’t wanna lower your savings and investment goals.

Also I use gamepass as a rental service. I also recommend periodically looking at your big boxes for clearance sales and checking out your local small scale game stores. Those are hit or miss but if you aren’t looking for something rare then sometimes you luck up.

I also focus on games first. I don’t have a PS5 or series x and have no intention of getting them for another 2 years. However I do look for their popular games to go on sale. By the time I get them I should have a library. Sometimes it is best to wait out the hardware.

I'm not broke but I was in your shoes several years ago. While broke then, I had some wealthy extended family who got me an Xbone Christmas 2015. If I didn't have them I would have saved for a used Xbone, but the prices for even the original Xbox One has risen due to supply crisis and it drives me nuts. I did have to replace the power brick on my original Xbox One a year ago when it died but it's back in action. The stupid touch power button is triggered by static electricity which is an annoyance so if the S model is cheaper I would go for that. A Series S would be worth saving for, if it was in stock at MSRP, which it isn't. And if it was the Xbox One S would probably be a lot cheaper, but by the time the price goes back down I have a feeling the Xbox One will be like the 360 is today, but with more system software updates.

@Tasuki I asked my coworkers if they wanted my 360 Slim in 2019. They said no so I sold it at GameStop and got almost nothing. Then a week later Halo MCC went on Steam sale and everyone wanted my old 360 for the break room. Then I got my older cousin's original 360 that was overheating and replaced the thermal paste to satiate everyone's thirst for Halo 3 split screen. However, when I sold my 3DS they paid me good money for my used Nintendo games. Not much for the console itself but I got enough money to buy Control and some change to reduce the price of another Xbone controller. So if GameStop is still paying good money for used Nintendo 3DS games (probably not given the last 2 years), you might be in luck. Or maybe you live elsewhere. But I don't think it's worth it, I only got rid of my 360 cause it took up too much space and I live in a cramped apartment with my family.

Edit: Also worth noting the OP may need a state ID to sell to GameStop. The GameStop at the closest mall to work is bordering on dead and has high crime so I needed to show my ID to sell in that county. The mall I usually sell at in the burbs is actually quite alive and that county does not require ID for GameStop and pawn shops, but not the other one. I might pay it a final visit now that I got vaxxed cause I don't think it's gonna last. The neighborhood has gotten super gentrified and the new people are too snobby to shop at that mall. For that matter if not for the GameStop stock bets I wonder if GameStop would still be anything more than the owner of Game Informer. It's the only reason I still have Power Up Rewards. But again, depends on where you live. I got my state ID when I was 18, and one of my friends in high school told me I should gave gotten it earlier.