Which are the Best Systems for Free Games?
No matter what device you choose to play with, getting involved with mainstream gaming is not cheap. Even if you only buy items on sale, the initial cost of consoles, PCs, or mobile devices is enough to take a chunk out of anybody’s wallet. With that in mind, the modern gaming market is filled with free experiences to play alongside paid titles, if you know where to look. So, we thought we’d investigate what each of the main systems has to offer in free games, to help you choose which ones might be most worthy of your attention.
Mobile
Of all the main avenues of playing games, mobiles are undoubtedly the devices that lean on free games the most. The caveat here is that the vast majority of these games are bolstered by microtransactions, meaning that some game features in these free titles can be locked behind small payments. In some games, like with EA’s much-maligned Dungeon Keeper, these can spoil the experience. In others, like the extremely well-regarded Brawl Stars, the free systems are so robust that players who don’t put money down are never left wanting.
“Playing Football Video Games on a Phone” (CC BY 2.0) by footycomimages
It’s also important to remember that in the mobile market, as with PCs, there are many opportunities available in the related landscape of online casino gaming. As is noted by the official Bonusfinder Canada site, some of these casinos, like Rizk, for instance, offer bonuses like no deposit free spins to get players started with no money down. For those who want to take these games a step further, other big bonuses like deposit matches can keep users engaged in wide libraries of games from a minimum deposit of $10.
PC
Outside of mobiles, PCs are the next biggest name in free high-grade gaming. As reported by official websites like Epic Games, the big games stores tend to involve some major permanent F2P offerings alongside more time-locked releases. Note that many of the free games released on these systems include AAA titles such as Control, Alien: Isolation, Rage 2, and many more. Keeping up with these means creating accounts on all of the largest stores including Steam, Epic, Origin, and GoG, so be sure to check in regularly.
Consoles
Free games on consoles are a little more difficult to quantify, owing to the structure of how the consoles’ online systems work. Just like PC, consoles offer a selection of both F2P titles and full AAA regular releases which temporarily appear to be claimed. But calling any of these free might be a stretch. This is because, as TechRadar explains, while the games can be free, access to play them is locked behind a paid subscription service. This applies to any online F2P game as a baseline and extends to any other monthly free game. For example, if a player claims the free FF7: Remake on PSN, then they can only play it while their subscription is active.
“A new Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition” (CC BY 2.0) by verchmarco
With these concepts in mind, you should at least have some idea of what the free gaming market represents. As for which is the right choice, that very much depends on your personal finances. PCs tend to offer the most robust selection in terms of genre, but the systems themselves can cost the most overall. Consoles and mobiles are cheaper, but their experiences can be slightly limited in some regards due to their ecosystem. Consider the initial and ongoing costs carefully, and your chances of making the right choice will be all the better for it.
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