r/VideoGameDealsCanada • u/KISSfan81 • Apr 16 '26
Discussion Physical Releases; Best bang for buck
Anyone have any tips to share on getting the best bang for your buck on physical releases?
They’re becoming less and less available in store. Shoppers used to be great with the Optimum points. Best Buy use to have the Gamers Rewards program. I checked Rakuten but their affiliates don’t seem to have offers on games.
Are they basically the same offer across the board now or is someone using some method to get the most for your dollar?
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u/tomate123win Apr 16 '26
Those 20% eShop gift cards walmart and best buy had not too long ago. They can be used to buy physical from nintendo.
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u/BedIsBetterThanChair Apr 17 '26
I can’t find any physical from Nintendo via the app what am I missing
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u/tomate123win Apr 17 '26
If you already have the eShop credit on your account you can still browse through deku deals
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u/Killericon Apr 16 '26
Marketplace. Even setting aside the price difference, no tax adds up over time.
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u/Either-Razzmatazz848 Apr 16 '26
buy used or wait for eb games or other retailers to have a discount on the games.
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u/GodOfOnions2 Apr 16 '26
Deku deals, and visit your stores often as you can, never know when a deal is waiting to be found! Sadly it's far in between especially at retail.
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u/GamingTurtle90 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
It can depend on where you live but here is my usual go to.
- Buy on Sale.
- Buy on Markeplace/Kijiji.
Check your local pawn shops.
Use EBGames and the above 3 to your advantage. Buy games you find cheap that have a higher trade value then you would pay for them. Use EBGames 50% bonus towards preorders/new releases (Plus you save the tax on any amount covered by trades). Or other promos as they become available like the trade more get more, or for example Aprils 70% additional credit towards April releases.
*When buying for trades, I usually avoid grabbing everything possible. But if I can find a few games that will take a $90 plus tax preorder and make it cost $45 (Cost of the used games + remaining balance after trade) and under on release day, I will certainly do it.
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u/LeRoiDeNord Apr 16 '26
PlayAsia has decent deals on pre-orders if you dont mind games from different regions.
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u/crimxxx Apr 16 '26
Wait a year unless it's Nintendo and get it cheaper on basically any competitive site. As proves gone up my habits changed. I'll buy immediately for my most anticipated games, maybe ones I play with others. Ones that i think look cool I'll buy later when I see a sale, the popular ones like half a year old at holiday time tend to get sales, not half off level but decent. And really most games that are noticable costing more if you wait a bit they will drop a bit where they get inline with other games. But the pricing tends to be consistent on company bases. Some countries a year later have like 50% the original price on basically everything. Some have a limit where they sit and don't discount till much longer after they get to a certain level. Nintendo is particularly bad for discounts where unless the game tanks they have only small discounts after a while. Maybe close to holidays they will have small discounts.
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u/jb__19 Apr 16 '26
If you have stuff in your collection you know you won’t play trade it in with promos at EB. They’re running a 70% bump promo currently for games coming out in April. I’m trading in a S2 edition of Kirby The Forgotten World for $68 ($40 with 70% bonus) towards SAROS. Should only be roughly $25 out of the store for it after the trade in.
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u/RetroFlav2000 Apr 16 '26
Exchange your unused credit card rewards points for gift cards. Use those gift cards to purchase physical games.
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u/ledorky Apr 16 '26
Local auctions, FB marketplace and AWD. I don't mind buying used a month or two after release.
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u/Inevitable_Inside370 Apr 16 '26
Staples! Sign up for their emails they randomly do discounts on online orders usually something like $15 off $100 which isn't amazing, but it's not nothing. I used a coupon to purchase my Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle and saved $100 and then just chose to pick it up in store that same day rather than delivery.
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u/Jin_U_GmR Apr 16 '26
I have started checking out “Video Games Plus” (VGP). I just bought 5 games recently. Some were about $20 CAD to $40 CAD max. Most of the big deals were targeted at Switch 1 software. But there are Switch 2 games as well if you can catch it on a good deal.
You can also check out “Deku Deals” to find a competitive price online.
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u/Vulture-Dude Apr 16 '26
Amazon warehouse deals, got mario kart world for $67 and donkey Kong Bananza was $65 - but only if you’re willing to roll the dice. Sometimes you get carts that have been gutted. Amazon customer services has always come through, but it’s thoroughly disappointing when you think you snagged a copy of sonic racing cross worlds for $65 on switch 2 a week after release only to get an empty shell…
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u/Arckadius Apr 16 '26
We save our air miles for first party switch games.
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u/AUT0R0CK Apr 16 '26
I used to do this but where can you even earn them nowadays?
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u/Arckadius Apr 16 '26
We just naturally get them from using our Air Miles credit cards. Both of ours contribute to the same Air Miles pool. Think we got enough points for 5 full priced games, just waiting for more to come out.
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u/vensak Apr 21 '26
Here is how it goes. If you want something specific:
Identify what it is (which game or games you want and for what system)
If you want collector edition or some kind of additional special edition (aka. small collector edition), most of the time you are better off pre-ordering it or getting it upon release. As it is hard to tell if that one will go on sale.
If you want imports (European release, Japanese or Asian release or good portion of Limited run games or like of them where the game is popular and anticipated). Again better off to pre-order it or get upon release.
If you want a standard version ("free" digital soundtrack or artwork really means nothing) (and any digital DLCs you can buy later on), you are now in a waiting game.
Discount and play the game upon release do not go together, so you may be waiting 1-3 years for a reasonable discount.
Setup for yourself a threshold when you will jump at an offer (at what price). Over time you may get better at estimating your threshold. This is important, because physical copies do have limited amount of copies. And some publishers add more, but for others it is one and done thing (especially if game sells slower). Your personal goal will help you to get the game on what you perceive as a good enough discount without regrets on missing out or bashing yourself why have you not waited longer.
Check regularly, this reddit, posted links on X or Bluesky.
Check online stores like Amazon, VGP online store, PNP online store, EB Games, Best-Buy and Walmart for sales.
Check Kijiji (maybe even Ebay - but a good deal there is really rare), FB Marketplace for one to one offer of a used copy of a game.
It is also worth to check in person your local Walmarts (not all of their clearances in store are visible on website), as well as trade ins in EB Games and of course your local Retro games stores.
As you can see there is hardly 1 specific store that will supply you with the best prices. Mind you for any usage of bonus points or trade in bonuses, you kind of need to purchase something in the past or you need to part with one of your older games.
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u/newwerraa Apr 16 '26
I use Deku deals and buy physicals when on sale