The Bill: what it really costs to play
The price on the store page is only the start. Consoles charge for online play in paid games, shops sell passes and cosmetics, and refund rules change from store to store. Here is the whole bill, in pounds.
01Game by game
The entry price, and what comes after it
Prices are standard UK store prices on the date checked. Where a game costs less on one store, both prices are shown.
| Game | Entry price | Online play on consoles | What the shop sells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Legends | Free | Free to play: no subscription needed | Apex Coins for packs with random contents, passes and cosmetics |
| Dota 2 | Free | PC only: no subscription | Cosmetics, Dota Plus, event packs, treasures with random contents |
| Final Fantasy XIV | Free trial · Complete Edition from £34.99, then from £7.69 a month | No PS Plus or Switch Online needed; Xbox needs Game Pass Essential | Subscription, plus cosmetics and boosts; no random items |
| Fortnite | Free | No subscription needed on any console | Item Shop, passes and Crew; some creator islands sell random items |
| Marvel Rivals | Free | Free to play: no subscription needed | Costumes, battle passes, and some costume draws with random results |
| VALORANT | Free | Free to play: no subscription needed | Weapon skins, agents and the battle pass; no random items |
| Stardew Valley | £10.99 on Steam · £4.99 on phones | Subscription needed for online co-op on every console | Nothing to buy after the game |
| Minecraft | £29.99 on PC (Java and Bedrock) · £6.99 on phones | PS Plus, Game Pass Essential or NSO for online play | Marketplace add-ons and Realms servers; no random items |
| Helldivers 2 | £34.99 on PlayStation and Xbox | PS Plus or Game Pass Essential needed; always online | Super Credits for warbonds and armour; no random items |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | £49.99 on Steam · £39.99 on PlayStation | Single-player: no subscription needed | No shop; one paid expansion |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | £49.99 on Steam · £57.99 on consoles | PS Plus or Game Pass Essential for online co-op; split-screen is free | No shop; optional Digital Deluxe upgrade |
| Elden Ring | £49.99 on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox | PS Plus, Game Pass Essential or NSO for online co-op; offline is free | No shop; paid expansion and a small pack |
A console subscription is only needed for online multiplayer in paid games; free-to-play games are exempt on PlayStation and Xbox, and playing alone never needs one.
Paying in UK stores
Every big store takes debit and credit cards and PayPal; beyond that they differ. Since 13 January 2018 no UK trader may add a surcharge for paying by consumer card or PayPal, so the price you see should be the price you pay.
| Store | Ways to pay (UK) | Store credit |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, PayPal, Klarna, Trustly, paysafecard; Steam gift cards | Wallet funds bought on Steam can be refunded within 14 days if none has been used |
| PlayStation Store | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay, paysafecard, mobile billing on O2, Three and EE | A wallet top-up cannot be cancelled once made |
| Microsoft Store and Xbox | Cards, PayPal, mobile billing on EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, Xbox gift cards | An unredeemed digital gift card can be cancelled within 14 days; once redeemed, the balance stays on the account |
| Nintendo eShop | Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, PayPal (holders aged 18 or over) | Funds cannot move between accounts and are lost if you change the account's country |
| Epic Games Store | Cards and PayPal; other methods appear at checkout | Account balance is not refundable |
Nintendo stopped selling Switch game vouchers after 30 January 2026; vouchers already bought stay valid for 12 months and cannot be used for Switch 2 games.
Three habits that save money
- Buy where the save lives. Progress in most of our twelve stays on the platform where you bought the game, so the cheapest store is not always the cheapest choice.
- Top up only what you will spend. Store credit and gift cards are the hardest money to get back.
- Check the subscription before the sale. A game in PS Plus Extra or Game Pass may cost you nothing extra if you already subscribe.