Ever since Nintendo was the first to breach the $80 threshold for games with Mario Kart World, the concerns over game prices have been top of mind across the industry. Between tariffs, inflation, cost of living, and what appears to be an inevitable recession right around the corner, I have already been preparing for how I can be a more discerning consumer of games.
There are tons of ways to be more thrifty with our favorite hobby. You can wait for sales, trade and borrow games, rely more on subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Game Pass, or just stick to the wealth of free-to-play games. But there’s one resource I never see brought up that could give you access to a huge library of major titles for free: your local library.
If you haven’t been to a library in years like I hadn’t, it may come as a surprise to learn that many have grown some impressive video game catalogues in addition to books, manga, and movies. I can vaguely recall a few people mentioning that libraries had started carrying video games over the years, but I always assumed it would be some small corner with half a dozen Xbox 360 cases that may or may not have a working disc inside.
This past weekend I was once again reminded about libraries being a resource for games and finally decided to see just how viable they were for someone who wants to save money but still have access to new releases. Now, this will all depend on what your local library carries, but I was shocked to see the quality and quantity of games offered even in my mid-sized Colorado town.
It took a minute to figure out how to navigate my local branch’s website to just show video games, but once I did, I was greeted with a list of over 200 games in stock between the PS4 and PS5 generations. And these aren’t purely educational or obscure titles, either. Games like Doom: The Dark Ages, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows are all available for PS5 and Xbox Series X at my local branch, with most of 2025’s earlier big hitters accounted for, too. Looking through all the pages of games online, I have already compiled a list of games I wasn’t able to get to at the time and can now easily pick up at my leisure with nothing but a scan of my library card.
This isn’t the ultimate hack to play every game you want for free with no strings attached. Everything has drawbacks, and in this case you will have to be okay with waiting a few weeks or a month after a big game comes out before your library gets it. It will be on a case-by-case basis in terms of what games your library will get, but at least in my area they post a list of upcoming games they plan to get and I can make requests to the staff as well. There’s also the fact that you may not be the only person privy to this service and someone else might check the game out first. Even with those caveats, you can’t beat the prospect of free game rentals in this day and age.
Libraries might seem antiquated in this day and age, but they are incredibly important community institutions. They provide tons of resources and programs for people in their communities and ask for nothing in return. Most libraries get funding based on how often they are used, so you can know that you’re helping support the people around you while also getting to play great games at no cost. While you’re there, I also suggest checking out some of those events. My local library, for example, has weekly Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader and virtual tabletop RPG groups I had no idea existed so you might be surprised.
With all the factors at play in the world, everyone is looking for ways to somehow save money without giving up the things we love. If you have a library nearby, I highly suggest adding it as one more tool in your toolbox for keeping your passion for games alive when you might otherwise be priced out.
