Sony Playstation 3 and PSP Buying games for games consoles

You don't have to spend a fortune to get great games

While all the latest games consoles offer much more than just gaming, it's still their prime purpose and you'll be wanting to invest in new titles.

With thousands of games available for the Playstation 3 and PSP, you should be able to pick up some popular titles that you'll enjoy, fairly cheaply.

New releases

Games are at their most expensive straight after launch, and you can expect to pay around £40 for a new release. However, if you can wait a couple of months you should find that the price will have halved.

If money is tight, it's also worth steering clear of expensive 'special editions', for the sake of extra packaging or a bonus DVD which usually add little to the game.

Shop around for the best deals

If you're looking online, it's always worth checking a price comparison site such as PriceRunner to see what it recommends as the cheapest available price. Prices for new releases can vary by as much as £10 between retailers.

Buying second-hand

Another option is to buy second-hand. Often people will buy a game, play it intensively until it's complete, then sell it at a reduced price. 

Play has a decent range of second-hand games available, as do high street shops such as Game and HMV, and all should replace the game or offer a refund should it turn out to be faulty. 

If you're after cheaper games, you should also stay away from 'special editions', which are often sold at an inflated price with extras that may well not be necessary. 

Fifa 10 for the PSP

For example, the special edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came with goggles and retailed for a massive £130.

Older games

If you're looking for your first games for a new console, it can pay to look back at older titles. 

There have been excellent releases for all the consoles over the years, but older games are now available at knock-down prices. Even bigger bargains can be had if you buy old games second-hand.

station Network

Games can be purchased directly via the station Network for both the PSP and station 3. Unlike the Wii and Xbox 360 services, the prices are in UK sterling, so it's a lot easier to see exactly what you're paying for the content.

Although this might not prove to be the cheapest way to purchase games (they can usually be found cheaper online), some users might like the convenience of having the game instantly.

There are also demos available for most games, giving you a good opportunity to try before you buy.

Renting games for your console

A further option is to rent your games via a game or DVD rental site, or even your local rental store. 

The advantage of renting a game from a DVD rental site such as Lovefilm is that you can keep the game for as long as you want, then send it back and get another one. 

The only problem is that you can't be guaranteed a certain game, as they're sent out from a rental list as they become available. 

If you go to a local rental shop you may be able to get the title of your choice, but you won't be able to keep it for very long. However, this could be a reasonable investment to find out whether you like a game enough to buy it outright.

Backwards compatibility

The station 3 is backwards-compatible with games for the original station. These games can be picked up very cheaply, and although they may be dated there are some classics to be had.