Top 10 Best Online Video Game Stores

What Is the Best Website to Buy Video Games?

Never before in human history has it been easier being a gamer–and it’s all thanks to high-speed internet. Just a few years ago, you had to brave the traffic and fight for a parking spot down at the mall in order to buy the newest video games. Now, thanks to faster internet and a growing number of websites where you can buy PC video games online, you can find and download the best games in minutes.

If you’re wondering where to buy cheap video games online, then you’re in luck. With dozens of great sites catering to every niche, you just have to know where to look.

If you have a particular game in mind you want to purchase and download, it’s worth shopping doing a comparison shop between different distributors.

To help you get started, here’s our list of the top 10 best places to buy video games online.

Our Top 10 Best Online Video Game Stores:

• Steam - Best for the biggest selection of PC games
• Epic Games Store - Best for exclusive games from Epic, including Fortnite
• GOG - Best for DRM-free game ownership
• Humble Bundle - Best for flexible pricing and charitable contributions
• Xbox Live - Best for Xbox console and PC game integration
• Origin - Best for EA game exclusives like The Sims and FIFA
• itch.io - Best for indie games and user-created content
• CheapShark - Best for finding top deals across game stores
• Green Man Gaming - Best for buying Steam-compatible game keys

Top 10 Best Video Game Stores - Reviews:

1. Steam

Founded in 2002, Steam is still widely regarded by PC users as the best place to buy cheap video games online. Steam is easily the largest digital distribution platform for PC gamers on the internet, boasting more than 34,000 games and 95 million monthly active users as of 2019.

Put simply, if a PC video game exists, you will find it on Steam. Loyal Steam users earn Steam Points, which can be spent on buying cheap video games through the Steam shop, customizing your Steam Community avatar, or awarding fellow members of the community.

2. Epic Games Store

Epic Games Store is a digital storefront for Windows and MacOS games run by Epic Games. Its catalog includes games made by Epic Games, such as Fortnite, Battle Breakers, and Shadow Complex, as well as hundreds of third-party titles.

Although it doesn’t have as many titles as the bigger players, the Epic Games Store does carry dozens of exclusives, including Fortnite (obviously) and the most recent release in the popular series, The Walking Dead. For that reason, it’s worth checking the Epic Games store if you’re after something specific that you can’t find elsewhere.

3. GOG

Originally known as Good ‘Ol Games, GOG is one of the largest distributors of DRM-free games. What this means is that you become the full owner of all the games you purchase and don’t have to connect to the GOG client to launch your games.

The other thing worth noting about GOG is that it offers bargain-basement discounts on games released just one or two months earlier. If you don’t believe us, just go to the GOG homepage to find discounts of 20% to 90% on recent releases.

4. Humble Bundle

Humble Bundle started out offering collections of games (bundles) at a price determined by the purchaser, with a portion of the price going to charity and the rest divided between the game developers.

Today it offers a regular store where you can purchase individual games while also continuing to sell its famous bundles. Humble Choice subscribers get a curated bundle of PC games each month, unlimited downloads of dozens of DRM-free games, and a 20% discount on the thousands of games on the Humble store.

5. Xbox Live

Xbox Live is the place to purchase games for your Xbox gaming console and Xbox games for PC. The service consists of three tiers: a free tier where you can purchase individual games; a subscription-based tier, known as Xbox Live Gold, which includes multiplayer gaming, membership in a community of games, and game discounts; and Xbox Game Pass for PC, which includes all of the above as well as access to over 100 awesome Xbox games for Windows.

6. Origin

Origin originated as a digital download marketplace like Steam and GOG before EA purchased it and turned it into its official digital storefront. Today, Origin is the only place to purchase and download games from the EA catalog without having to buy a physical copy.

If you’re looking to download games from popular EA series like The Sims, Star Wars, FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA Live, then you’ll need to buy them from Origin.

7. itch.io

itch.io is an open marketplace where users can host, sell or download independent video games. If you’re a video game creator, then you can sell at whatever price you want and design your pages however you like. If you’re a buyer, then you stand to benefit from thousands of unique, independent creations in every category imaginable.

Itch.io has a wide range of paid and free content, and is really a great place to explore if you’re looking for new types of PC games to scratch your itch.

8. CheapShark

CheapShark is a price comparison site that displays top deals from nine digital download marketplaces including Steam and GOG. On the home page, you’ll see the top seven current deals from each store side by side. You can click on any of the stores to view and sort all deals by price, savings, user-rated deal rating, and release date.

This is a very convenient store if you’re looking to find some bargain-basement deals on a few titles.

9. Green Man Gaming

Green Man Gaming is a major third-party download distributor in its own right, with thousands of games from third-party publishers. It also lets you link to and access games through the Steam platform. It often has great discounts on games that are also available on Steam, so it’s worth checking the price on Green Man Gaming before looking at the Steam store.

10. Fanatical

Fanatical is another third-party publisher that also lets you link to your Steam account. Like Green Man Gaming, we recommend checking out Fanatical for great deals on Steam games before purchasing direct from the Steam store.

Originally known as Bundle Stars, Fanatical still offers lots of bundles for sale. It’s also a good place for finding downloadable content to add to games you already own on PC or Mac.

Types of Videogame Stores

Online video game stores have become a popular destination for gamers to purchase and download their favorite games. Not like in the past, players can now access these online libraries of games, and Instead of buying a physical copies they just download it to their device.

These online video gaming stores offer several benefits over physical stores, including convenience, instant access to games, and the ability to purchase games from anywhere in the world.

• Online game stores usually focus on specific gaming platforms such as PC, Mac, and gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox. Typically, these stores offer a wide variety of games, including new releases, classic titles, and indie games.
• Another type of online video game store are the Digital distribution platforms. These platforms allow developers and publishers to sell their games directly to their customers.
• Gaming marketplaces are the newer version of online video game stores. Similar to digital distribution platforms, these marketplaces offer a platform for independent game developers to sell their games directly to players. In addition, they offer features such as early access to games, community forums, and game development tools.

Safety Tips For Online Game Stores

When buying games from online video game stores, it is important to pay attention to several factors to ensure a safe and satisfactory shopping experience:

• Make sure to store is authentic - One crucial consideration is the authenticity of the store. It is crucial to purchase games from reputable and trustworthy online stores that are known to sell legitimate games. Checking reviews and ratings of the store is a good way to assess its authenticity.
• Secure Payments - Another important factor to consider is the payment options available. Make sure to choose an online store that offers secure payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, or other trusted payment gateways. Always check for the padlock icon in the address bar to ensure that the site is secure and encrypted.
• Check if the version compatible with your gaming device - before finalizing the purchase pay attention to the system requirements of the game and ensure that they are compatible with your gaming device. Reading reviews and checking the game's ratings can also help in making an informed purchase decision.
• Beware of Hot bargains and Freebies - it is essential to be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, as they may be fraudulent or pirated copies. By following these tips, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable experience while buying games from online video game stores.

Read more about safe online shopping:

• https://www.allstateidentityprotection.com/content-hub/internet-scam-deals
• https://www.scamadviser.com/scam-reports/scam-alerts/13/beware-of-too-good-to-be-true-deals

The Best Games Are Just a Few Clicks Away

The best places to buy video games online give you instant gratification. Just search through the titles, find the one you want, purchase it, and then wait a matter of minutes for it to download your PC. It doesn’t get any easier than that.