There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there are definitely ways to get free games. And let’s be real, a free video game trumps an all-expenses-paid meal any day.
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Getting hold of some free games isn’t even all that difficult if you know the right places to look. Granted, the opportunity to pick up some brilliant games is a lot easier on PC than on consoles like Xbox and PlayStation. And on the Nintendo Switch? Freebies are an extreme rarity.
But with the rising cost of brand new video games ($80 games look set to become the latest industry standard this year), the value of a free game is ever-increasing, and if you’re looking to play more without spending a single cent, here’s the best places to look on each platform.
How to get free games on PC
A powerful gaming rig is arguably the best way to experience video games, period. And those who choose to play primarily on PC also have the luxury of deeper sales (thank you, Steam!) and more options for finding places to pick up free games.
Your first port of call should be the Epic Games Store. This Steam rival has been running a free game a week promotion pretty much since launch in 2018. And this awesome incentive remains ongoing to this very day.
While often the freebie will be a smaller indie title, Epic has also given away big blockbusters over the years, including GTA 5, Batman Arkham Trilogy, Control, Bioshock The Collection, Tomb Raider Trilogy, Civilization 6, Death Stranding and many more AAA titles. The freebie refreshes every Thursday, so you should get into the habit of checking every single week.
The other best place to check is Amazon Prime Gaming. This comes free as part of an Amazon Prime membership and is a seriously overlooked benefit of the shopping service.
Past picks have ranged from the entire Mafia trilogy to Suicide Squad: Kill in the Justice League (dished out for free just a few months post-release). Prime Gaming’s selection updates monthly, and I find there’s always at least one game available worth playing.
How to get free games on Xbox
Amazon Prime Gaming similarly gives away free Xbox games on occasion. While these aren’t as frequently available as the platform’s PC offerings, there’s a handful each year, with previous picks including the recent Wolfenstein games from Xbox-owned Machine Games.
At the time of writing, you can get a free copy of Minecraft Legends on Xbox to celebrate the recent release of “The Minecraft: Movie" and the epic Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. If you have an Xbox, you’ll want to keep an eye on the Prime Gaming hub, just don’t expect to be flooded with freebies.
Microsoft will also periodically make some older original Xbox and Xbox 360 games free on the Xbox Store. This has included cult-favorites Crackdown and Crackdown 2. However, these appear sporadically, making them harder to track and reliably depend on.
Otherwise, you might want to consider investing in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Yes, this is a dedicated gaming subscription, so it doesn’t technically count as free games, but for $19 a month, you get access to a deep library of games.
Plus, Xbox has committed to adding its first-party titles to the service from day one, so you can subscribe right now and will get access to the likes of Doom: The Dark Ages and Fable the moment they release. There’s a reason it’s often called the best deal in gaming.
How to get free games on PlayStation
Scoring free games on PS4 and PS5 isn’t an easy task. PlayStation has occasionally run promotional events such as Play at Home in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but otherwise, gaming for free on PlayStation typically means free-to-play (F2P) games like Fortnite, Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2.
However, Sony does offer its own Game Pass alternative, PlayStation Plus. You won’t get PlayStation Studios games included on day one, but you do get instant access to a sizeable catalog of must-play games across PS4 and PS5.
The middle-tier, PlayStation Plus Extra, offers the best value for money, in my opinion, costing $14 a month. It allows you to experience phenomenal titles like The Last of Us Part I, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Demon’s Souls, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves at a fraction of the cost compared to purchasing à la carte.
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