For years now Polish gamers have complained about unreasonably high prices for Steam games in their region. It forces them to find different ways around the problem to save even a little bit on such purchases. So, what is the reason for it? Let’s try to take a look into the reasons and find the best ways to save money.
Why is it so expensive?
The thing is that the pricing in Steam depends on users’ location. As Poland is situated in Europe, game prices are set in relation to the european economy and euro exchange rate, and do not always correspond to the situation in a specific country.
For example, the Steam version of FIFA 22 costs 269,90 zloty, and the latest New World costs 142,99 zloty. Whereas in Russia the same games cost 3499 rubles (192,88 zloty) and 1299 rubles (71,61 zloty) respectively. In the case of FIFA the difference in price is 29%, and New World is 50% cheaper — a significant difference in price.
Ways of saving money
As Valve has recently started blocking purchases via VPN, gamers in Poland have to look for new ways to pay less in Steam. Let’s have a look at 3 of them.
1. Discounts in Steam
From time to time Steam offers discounts for games. Most of them happen at the time of seasonal sales, but sometimes discounts appear randomly. It is a good idea to check the game’s page in the store and follow the news from developers on social media.
Advantages:
- Full security and reliability — sales are offered in Steam;
- Minimum manipulations required for purchase.
Disadvantages:
- Discount may not become available even during sales;
- You will have to wait for a long time until there’s a discount for a new game;
- Discount may be insignificant.
2. Buying through third party websites
There are websites that offer Steam games at a lower price. The most popular of those websites is Allegro. Allegro is a Polish analogy of AliExpress. It was established in 1999 and contains a large variety of products, including games offered by different sellers.
For example, a recently released Back 4 Blood costs 155,99 zloty on Allegro, making it 22% cheaper in comparison with Steam.
Advantages:
- A lot of games cost less than on Steam;
- The game goes directly to your personal account (depending on the offer from the seller).
Disadvantages:
- There is a big fraud risk;
- The game for sale might come from a stolen account and would be used by other buyers;
- The product you have purchased may differ from its description;
3. Buying from another region
As mentioned earlier, prices vary from region to region. Many players take advantage of it and ask their trusted people (friends, family etc) to make purchases on their behalf, saving a fair amount of money.
The idea is to transfer the account in the name of the person who lives in another region (in Russia for example), and send the money to their bank account. Then, a game is bought on Steam in that region at a better price. This game will remain in the library regardless of the region of purchase, provided there are no additional regional restrictions. The account is returned to the owner who can then enjoy the game.
Advantages:
- The game is bought in Steam — such deals are totally secure and transparent;
- You can save up to 50%;
- No need to interact with strangers.
Disadvantages:
- You will need a person who resides in a different region and whom you can trust with your account.
These 3 options are the most popular amongst gamers. You can also participate in competitions, giveaways, use Family access on Steam, but each of these ways has its own aspects. The choice is yours.
If you would like to buy a game from another region, Profee will help you make a fast and secure international money transfer.
