Stop relying on memory or a single storefront search when buying games. This guide shows you how to build a cross-store wishlist, compare like-for-like prices, set a personal target price, and use a simple spreadsheet workflow to decide whether to buy now or wait.
Overview
Tracking game prices works best when you separate three questions: where can you buy the game, what will you actually receive, and is today’s total good enough for you? A lower displayed price is not automatically the better purchase if the product is a different edition, uses a different platform, requires a separate launcher, or has regional restrictions.
Your tracker should therefore record more than the current price. For each game, capture the title, platform, edition, storefront, currency, final checkout total, lowest price you have observed, target price, ownership format, DRM or launcher requirements, and the date checked. This creates a useful history rather than a list of disconnected sale links.
The method applies to PC stores such as Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and other authorized sellers, as well as Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo eShop listings. Storefront features differ: some wishlists may support notifications, while others may offer limited or changing alert behavior. Use a wishlist as a convenience, but keep your own record when a purchase matters.
For broader context, compare this workflow with our guide to comparing game prices before you buy and our PC game store comparison.
How to estimate
1. Start with one row per buying option
Do not create one row for only “Game Name.” Create a row for each meaningful option: standard edition on Steam, standard edition on GOG, console version on Xbox, or a bundle that includes the game. This prevents you from comparing unlike products.
A practical spreadsheet header looks like this:
Game | Platform | Edition | Store | Store URL | Listed Price | Currency | Tax or Fees | Exchange Rate | Total in Base Currency | Target Price | Lowest Seen | Date Checked | DRM or Launcher | Region Notes | Refund Notes | Decision
Use one base currency for comparison, such as your local currency. Keep the original listed price as well. The original value lets you revisit the calculation when exchange rates change or when you discover that a store’s displayed price excludes an additional checkout cost.
2. Calculate a comparable total
If your spreadsheet uses columns F through K as Listed Price, Currency, Tax or Fees, Exchange Rate, Total in Base Currency, and Target Price, a simple total formula is:
=ROUND((F2+G2)*H2,2)
In this example, G2 should contain a numeric tax or fee amount in the same currency as the listed price, and H2 should contain the number of base-currency units per unit of the store currency. If tax is already included, enter zero in the tax or fee cell. Label the assumptions clearly instead of silently mixing included and excluded charges.
If the tax or fee is a percentage rather than a fixed amount, use a separate rate cell. For example, with a listed price in F2, a percentage in G2, and an exchange rate in H2:
=ROUND(F2*(1+G2)*H2,2)
These formulas are examples, not universal checkout rules. Always verify the final amount at the point of purchase, particularly for console stores, regional pricing, bundles, and products sold through an external checkout.
3. Compare against a target, not just the lowest price
Your target price should answer: “At what total would I be comfortable buying this without waiting for another sale?” Set it from your budget, expected play time, urgency, and willingness to accept a particular platform or launcher. A target is personal; it is not a claim that the game will reach that price.
To calculate the difference between the current total and your target, add a Savings or Status column. For example:
=IF(I2<=K2,"At or below target","Wait or review")
To show the percentage above or below target:
=ROUND((I2-K2)/K2,2)
Format the result as a percentage. If the current total is below target, the result is negative; that is useful because it makes a qualifying deal easy to filter.
4. Record price history with a separate log
Keep a second sheet called Price Log. Use columns for Date, Game, Edition, Store, Platform, Original Price, Currency, Base-Currency Total, Sale Name or Reason, and Notes. Add a row whenever you check a price, not only when you buy.
This history helps you distinguish a meaningful discount from a small temporary reduction. It also shows whether waiting is realistic for a game you do not need immediately. Avoid describing a value as an “all-time low” unless your own records support that conclusion or a trusted tracker provides a clearly defined history.
Inputs and assumptions
Store and platform
Record the actual platform on which you intend to play. A PC purchase may be tied to a particular account or launcher. A console purchase may not be interchangeable with a PC license. If a key activates on another service, write the activation destination in the DRM or Launcher column rather than assuming the seller’s storefront is where you will play it.
For handheld PCs, check compatibility, controller support, launcher behavior, and offline needs before treating two prices as equivalent. Our Steam Deck and handheld PC buying guide covers these questions in more detail.
Edition and included content
Match standard with standard and deluxe with deluxe. Record whether an edition includes expansions, a soundtrack, cosmetic items, early access, or other extras. If you would not buy those extras separately, do not automatically count their suggested value as savings. Our standard versus deluxe edition guide can help structure that decision.
Currency, region, and checkout total
Use the exchange rate available when you perform the comparison, but mark it as an estimate until checkout. Currency conversion can change, and tax treatment may vary by location. Do not use a region-switching workaround to create a lower price unless the storefront expressly permits it. Region restrictions can affect activation, gifting, language, support, and future access.
Ownership and account value
Track whether the purchase is a direct storefront license, an authorized activation key, a subscription entitlement, or a bundle allocation. These can differ in how they appear in your library and what happens if a subscription ends. For authorized buying options, see our guide to trusted places to buy PC games online.
Refund and rewards assumptions
Do not subtract rewards points, coupons, or membership benefits unless you can use them on this specific purchase and have recorded their value consistently. Note the applicable refund terms separately; a refund window can matter if performance or compatibility is uncertain, but policies and eligibility can change. See our game refund policy comparison before relying on a refund as part of your calculation.
Worked examples
Example 1: Comparing two PC storefronts
Suppose you are comparing the same standard PC edition on two stores. Store A displays 24.99 in your base currency with no additional amount entered. Store B displays 22.50, but you note that it activates through a different launcher and has a separate region field to verify. Your sheet should not simply mark Store B as the winner.
First, confirm that both listings are the same edition. Then verify the activation service, region eligibility, final checkout total, refund terms, and any rewards you can actually apply. If Store B remains lower after those checks and the launcher is acceptable, mark it as the better current option. If the difference is small and you value keeping the game in a preferred library, your decision column can reasonably say “buy preferred store.”
Example 2: Setting a target for a new release
For a newly released game, you might set a target below the launch price based on your budget and how urgently you want to play. Record the launch-date total as the baseline, then add future observations to the Price Log. If the current price is above target, the spreadsheet should recommend waiting, not predict when the target will arrive.
If you need the game for a group session or want to avoid spoilers, add an Urgency column with values such as Low, Medium, or High. A high-urgency decision can justify buying above target, but the reason should be visible. This keeps the spreadsheet from treating every purchase as a purely mathematical choice.
Example 3: Bundle versus individual purchase
For a bundle, create a row for the bundle and rows for the individual games you would genuinely buy. Add a “Already Owned” field and a “Wanted” field. Calculate the effective cost of the wanted items by dividing the bundle total by the number of wanted items only when that allocation is useful for your decision.
Do not claim that every included game is free if you would never have purchased it. If the bundle contains one wanted game and several unwanted items, compare the full bundle cost with the wanted game’s target price and note the unused content. Our bundle deals guide provides a fuller checklist.
When to recalculate
Revisit your tracker before major seasonal sale periods, before buying a newly released title, and whenever your budget or platform changes. You should also update it when a game receives a new edition, moves to another launcher, leaves a subscription service, or gains a major expansion that changes which edition you want.
Refresh exchange rates and checkout totals when currencies move or when you are comparing prices across regions. Recheck the store page immediately before purchase because displayed prices, taxes, availability, bundles, and included content can change.
Store wishlist and alert features should be treated as helpful reminders rather than a complete price database. Review their behavior periodically, especially after a storefront redesign or account change. If an alert does not arrive, your spreadsheet and Price Log remain the backup.
A repeatable sale checklist
- Export or review your current wishlist and remove games you no longer intend to buy.
- Confirm platform, edition, region, launcher, and activation requirements for each candidate.
- Enter the current listed price, currency, taxes or fees, exchange rate, and final checkout total.
- Compare the total with your target price and previous observations.
- Check rewards, coupons, subscriptions, bundle overlap, and refund conditions without double-counting benefits.
- Choose Buy, Wait, or Review, and write one short reason for the decision.
- Log the check date so the next sale has a reliable point of comparison.
Copy the header row into a blank spreadsheet, add your current wishlist, and begin with the games you are most likely to buy. A small, maintained tracker is more useful than a large list filled with stale prices. Recalculate the rows that matter, verify the checkout page, and let your target price—not the presence of a sale label—decide whether the purchase is right for you.
