The Best Ways to Trade In and Trade Up When it Comes to Gaming

Letting go of old games consoles can be rough, particularly if there's a saved game you like to return to time and time again, or a game you still love that is not available on your new console.

Whatever is holding you back from trading in your old console, there are options available to you, and only you can decide what makes for the best solution for your particular tastes.

Games Only

The most obvious thing to do is to sell your computer games that you no longer play; most gamers do this anyway, even if they have no intention of changing console, just so that they can try more titles out without breaking the bank.

If you're switching to a new generation of console, but don't want to get rid of your old one, selling the computer games that you never play can free up storage space for the games that come with your new device.

You can just hang on to the titles you really wouldn't want to part with, along with your old console, as a consolidated system that you can plug in every once in a while for a nostalgic gaming session.

Games and Gadgets

Again, if you don't want to relinquish your old console, it might be worth looking at trading in your old accessories, as these can add to the amount of store credit you receive when you trade in your games.

Spare controllers - especially if they're the original controllers that would have come with a new console of that type - are always in demand, so if you're only keeping one-player games and you have two controllers, it might be worth getting rid of one of them in part-exchange for some new games.

Likewise, accessories like gun controllers and steering wheels might not be compatible with all games, so if you're trading in the game that you use them with, trade in the gadgets as well to try and boost your return.

System Swaps

Finally, if there are no games that you absolutely could not bear to lose, swapping an entire games console system is most likely to bag you the greatest amount of store credit or discount off of a new system.

Most computer stores will have stated offers if you are able to trade in the old generation of a particular manufacturer's console in exchange for a newly released model.

Again, you could find you get the best value if you are able to bundle all of the as-new items together, including the original controller and the games that came with your console.

For the Future

If you're playing the long game, metaphorically speaking, you might want to bear the guidance given above in mind for future part-exchanges and trade-ups.

For example, when you get a brand-new games console, put the controller in a safe place and use a third-party controller instead; likewise, don't trade in the original few games that came with the console.

When you come to trade up to the next-generation model, you'll have all of the original games and gadgetry to hand back in good condition, and that should mean you get the greatest possible discount too.