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Food For Thought: Are Xbox Games Better Value For Money Than PlayStation?

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As we tipple on over to the colder months of the year, we'll soon be shovelling through all those last-minute buys we picked up over the summer. And that's expected, as it is every year. But, beneath those piles of games lies a genuine question, and that's which of the two cost us the most, and which one was the better value for money overall? 

Whether you're an avid gamer or an off-peak tourist, there's no denying the fact that every player wants more bang for their buck. The problem, of course, is that distributors are getting slightly more greedy with each passing year, with almost every release following up with pricey bolt-ons and a microtransaction of some sort. And sadly, that's where we tend to draw the line. Our saving grace to this predicament, however, usually falls to one of two streaming platforms: PlayStation Now, or Xbox Game Pass.

Which of the two will save you money in the long run?

But which of the two is better value for money overall?

Spool through the PlayStation Store and you'll notice the prices tend to stack slightly higher than the rival Microsoft Store. However, throw the discount bonus that ties in with the PlayStation Plus subscription, and you're looking at, well, a collection of slightly smaller price tags.

Now, sift through the Microsoft Store while taking into account the slashed prices with Xbox Gold, and you'll notice quite a difference. And, what's more, is that, even with smaller tags to boot, a lot of its material can, in fact, be downloaded through the world-class Game Pass library, free of charge. So that's something to ponder over, for sure.

But there's so much more to it than that…

Decisions, decisions!

To be fair, both PlayStation and Xbox offer some pretty nifty deals. PlayStation, on one hand, boasts groundbreaking exclusives, whereas Xbox settles for quantity over quality, with hundreds of games at their disposal for dirt cheap prices. And annoyingly, that leaves us with the question of which platform is the best value for money overall.

Taking into account your circumstances, we do have to put Xbox in a slightly higher position, seeing as Game Pass Ultimate offers a practical way to play on the move, with PC and Android ports to boot. As well as that, it also packs in Xbox Gold which, of course, dishes out a few freebies a month. And so, for a fairly small price tag of $14.99, we do have to give credit to the Microsoft front for value alone.

PlayStation, on the other hand, offers a great deal of exclusive content, with even more given away with the PlayStation Plus monthly subscription of $9.99. So, while one service is a fraction of the other's price, there are quite a lot of things to take into account over that $5 leeway.

Decisions, decisions!

In our honest opinion…

In our honest opinion, if you are stuck between the two and also strapped for cash, then grabbing an Xbox and the Ultimate subscription is the best move you can possibly make. It'll save you a tonne of cash in the long run, and, depending on your time constraints, you'll never have to worry about being out of pocket should you rarely boot a game up.

With that said, if you're seriously into your gaming grinds and want everything the journey has to offer, then punching in to PlayStation Plus and forking out the extra pennies is also another viable option. A costly preference, for sure — but one that might just keep you ticking over indefinitely.

 

So, where do you stand on the Xbox and PlayStation front? Which console offers better value for money? Let us know over on our socials here.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.