how To… geT gaming dealS

how to... Get the best GaminG deals

Hard up but looking for something new to play? Get yourself cheap games, add-ons and Season Passes on Xbox One – and more josh west

You will need An XboX one / XboX Live optional A keen eye, impuLsive tendencies

Look, we get it. You’ve just purchased an Xbox One (hey, maybe you even splashed the cash on an Xbox One X and a new 4K TV – we aren’t judging, but we are jealous) and now you can hear your bankcard weeping from your wallet. Listen here, pal; we’ve all been there.

Thankfully, Microsoft has got your back. If you aren’t super locked into the whims of the new game release cycle, and can live without playing the latest shooters on release day, the Xbox One has a bunch of services built into it that are all about the deal. They’re about saving you money and keeping you locked into some awesome gaming action, even if your cash flow is feeling a little strained after the Christmas season. Whether it’s taking advantage of weekly gaming deals, whether it’s getting free games for simply being an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, or even if it’s because you’ve got a particular burning desire to play EA games for the rest of your life… whatever you’re into, there are plenty of ways to play without stretching your budget. If you’re into gaming deals there will be one here for you – let’s find out how to save you some money.

EA Access is an Xbox One exclusive service that’s essentially a must-own if you’re an Ultimate Team fan and can’t help but keep purchasing those card packs.

01

Games With Gold

If you’ve got an Xbox One, you are going to need to keep an eye on Games With Gold. It comes included with an Xbox Live Gold subscription, giving you up to £500 worth of free games across the year; at least three titles go up every month, including backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games and some awesome Xbox One titles. Better still, you’ll own all of these games so long as your Gold account is active!

02

Game Pass

For just £7.99 a month you can get an Xbox Game Pass. That one low monthly price will get you access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 backwards-compatible games – download and play them as much as you like until they rotate out. If you want to play for longer, Game Pass will save you 20 per cent on Xbox One game purchases and 10 per cent on all add-ons if the game is still in the catalogue.

XboX Live GoLd

An Xbox Live gold account is required should you want to get the most out of your Xbox one. not only does it unlock the multiplayer potential of your system, it will also give you access to all of these lovely deal opportunities listed around this little box. it costs £5.99 a month or £39.99 for the year and you won’t regret it. if you’ve got broadband, you need Xbox Live gold; seriously, it’s an Xbox one essential.

03

ea access

EA Access is an Xbox One exclusive service and it’s great. For just £3.99 a month or £19.99 for the year it’ll give you some mad savings. If you’re a huge EA fan it’s a must-own; not only will you get early access to the latest EA titles ahead of release, it also includes a vault including 50 games that you can play and a 10 per cent discount on all EA digital purchases – including Ultimate Team content!

05

XboX insider

It’s free to sign up to the Xbox Insider Program, a service for fans to get early access to big new updates and services coming to Xbox. While Microsoft rolls access out in waves, it’s worth signing up all the same as it will occasionally let you in on some exclusive game betas; if you’re looking to save money but are still eager for something to do, there’s nothing like getting a surprise something for nothing.

h o W to...

04

deals With Gold

Yet another reason you’ll want to get yourself an Xbox Live Gold account as soon as you’re able to! Microsoft doesn’t wait for the holidays to give you some bloody good gaming deals; if you want to save up to 50-75 per cent in the Xbox Store you’ll want to keep an eye out for the weekly Deals With Gold. These are often advertised on the dashboard and in the store itself, and cover a wide variety of releases.

06

store Watch

While the Xbox One includes a ton of ways for you to get the best gaming deals by default, sometimes the only way to find a good saving is by watching the store. Publishers have a tendency to put their own deals and discounts in place each week, so it couldn’t hurt dipping in every now and then. Alternatively, keep your eyes locked onto sites like MajorNelson.com and GamesRadar.com.

Build your own damn game

get active

Want something new to play but can’t find the money to pay for it? it’s okay; just make your own game. if the dude behind Stardew Valley can do it, so can you, right? read up

start doing some research. you’ll probably want to start learning c#, so find some online tutorials – yes, it is confusing and no, it doesn’t get easier. sign here

got somewhere? built something that works? get yourself signed up to the id@Xbox program and, if accepted, get your console Xbox dev mode activated! think again

Look, this is a lot of work to save a little money. give up, get online, sign up to Xbox Live gold and play whatever comes up on games With gold. sorted.