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[winjer]

With the rise of online shopping, a lot of people switched over. But some stick to physical stores.
There are advantages to each, of course.
So the question is where do you buy your PC parts, your console, gamepads, mouse and keyboards, etc.
And why did you pick that way.

P.S.: This is not for videogames and software.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

Wherever is cheaper.

 

[Topher]

Mostly online unless Best Buy has something in stock locally. There is a Microcenter an hour away. I would shop there damn near exclusively if it were closer.

 

[spons]

Always online due to enforced-by-law 14 day return policies.

 

[Doctor Hades]

Up until the Xbox One, I always pre-ordered new consoles from my local GAME store here in the UK to collect on launch day (exciting times!) but with the launch of the Xbox One and PS4 switched to buying online, initially from GAME but now it is usually Amazon (where else!), although I did buy my PS5 Pro direct from Sony, thinking it was going to sell out (which it obviously didn't do).

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Mostly online because it's more convenient.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

half at Microcenter, half online

 

[saintjules]

It's a combination of things really. I always order items online for either online delivery or pick up in store.

PS5 Pro - Order online and picked up at Best Buy
4070S Graphics Card - Ordered online and picked up at Best Buy
Vengeance RAM - Ordered online and delivered to home
Misc. PC accessories and parts - Ordered online and delivered to home

 

[BennyBlanco]

Microcenter and Newegg for the most part

Having a Microcenter close is a godsend.

 

[RoboFu]

I don't think that's any of your damn business.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I’m very fortunate to have a MicroCenter twenty minutes away.

 

[V1LÆM]

for PC gaming there aren't really any place near me that you can buy hardware in person. if you do find somewhere it's old shit nobody wants and stupid expensive prices.

so i always buy online from scan, ebuyer, overclockers, amazon, etc.

consoles are easy enough to find but i still don't buy them in person. i do 99% of my shopping online. i don't carry cash. and i don't buy physical games. everything for me is online/digital

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Almost always order through Best Buy with getting 2 year warranty on everything and a 60 day return window

 

[Fbh]

I live in the ass of the world so I order online wherever it's at a decent price and they don't charge like $80 for shipping.

 

[Garibaldi]

Usually ends up being Argos for consoles and over lockers.co.uk or scan.com for pc hardware.

TV is John Lewis for their 5 year warranty. Sound systems from Peter Tyson

 

[ssringo]

Mostly online because nothing good is ever in my local stores other than accessories.

 

[Team Andromeda]

I've been mailorder since 2005 and the 360 era

 

[Cakeboxer]

Always online. Why? Best prices + cashback + 14 - 30 (christmas even more) days return policy.

 

[DAHGAMING]

Cex as it always smells so nice in there.

 

[nemiroff]

It's a mix.

In my area, some of the largest physical stores also operate some of the largest and cheapest online stores. They make sure to offer the same price either way. So the options are good.

And btw, physical or online, many stores offer a 50 day return policy, no questions asked. And a 5-year guarantee. We have a pretty good system for consumers here..

 

[Impotaku]

Physical stores are dead, none of them can give me what I want when looking for games I pretty much exclusively use amazon uk/japan for all my gaming needs and rarely I might use the uk Nintendo online store as they sometimes have stuff that amazon can’t get. My time is valuable I’m no longer prepared to travel all over grubbing through stores in the hope they have what I might want. Uk is shit for game stores anyway highstreet is all but dead for gaming unless you live near an independent store.

 

[Wolves hunt in packs]

Pre-ordered both XSX and PS5 online but picked from store.

 

[Robb]

98% of the time it’s through an online store these days.

 

[Celcius]

Usually online but I do have a microcenter and bestbuy near me so I’ll try those first if possible.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Best Buy, Get 2 years no interest on the credit card and warrantees I never need.

 

[Kenpachii]

Always online

 

[GHG]

Consoles online.

PC components I've gone back to buying in physical stores. It's so much easier to just be able to drive 20 minutes to the store and exchange/return something in case any issues pop up when building.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Hardware I actually prefer to be able to go into a store because I don't need to worry about it getting delivered on a day I work or endless other issues. PC components is 95% Microcenter only.

Basically anything expensive I prefer to be able to just pick it up.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Best Buy, Get 2 years no interest on the credit card and warrantees I never need.

All it takes is one big one and that warranty pays for itself.

Just had a Corsair 4090 prebuilt PC decide to die and was still in the 2 year window and they wanted to try and fix it but after me telling them I needed my PC right away (which I didn’t since I have others) they just fully refunded its purchase price on a gift card that will at least partially pay for a new 5090 PC

 

[digital_ghost]

At the hardware store .

 

[Mayar]

Always in the store, fortunately I live not far from it + there is usually always a discount, and there are no problems with the warranty. And in principle I do not like to buy electronics without seeing it in person, and if they also let me check it, it is very convenient.

 

[ShirAhava]

New tech I'm excited for..... I'm a 30 min drive from a MicroCenter/Best Buy (living the dream)

New tech I can wait for....Amazon

When it comes to used/vintage stuff I have so many local options where people are throwing stuff away or selling for extremely cheap
and I've build up a good relationship with all of them

My merchant friend just gave me a big bag of old official Dualshock 3/Sixaxis controllers for free!

 

[CliffBronger]

Always online mainly uk based retailers or ebay which i manged to snag a 4tb crucial t700 for £260 back in april when they where going for around £600.

 

[HogIsland]

If you build a custom PC, I don't know a better online store than newegg. You might get this or that component cheaper elsewhere, but newegg's filter/search functions are the best I've seen so I always start there.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

If you build a custom PC, I don't know a better online store than newegg. You might get this or that component cheaper elsewhere, but newegg's filter/search functions are the best I've seen so I always start there.

I always used Newegg when I used to build my PCs its just I hate depending on FedEx/UPS

My home is down a fairly long driveway in the middle of nowhere and about half way down the drive there is a smaller road that goes down to our lake and we have a smaller building down there housing fishing stuff and fish foods and such.

Had UPS deliver a load of PC components to that building instead of coming to the house and it all sat outside for days in bad weather before I found it as UPS said it was delivered and I kept telling them it wasn’t so I had filed a claim it was lost.

Only found the stuff going down to fill the fish feeders one day

 

[AJUMP23]

Mostly online.

 

[Hrk69]

At your mom's preferred shopping location

 

[GymWolf]

Gaming hardware mostly online.

I live in an old, non-techy city, they don't know shit about latest pc news and hardware, the best pc shop in my city, certified asus centre had no fucking idea about the series 4000 adaptor debacle or the problems with intel series 13-14 or the recent windows safebot stuff, and it's their fucking job...


For console have been using gamestop, mostly because i can bring my old console and get a cut on the new one.

 

[DryvBy]

Mostly online unless Best Buy has something in stock locally. There is a Microcenter an hour away. I would shop there damn near exclusively if it were closer.

Microcenter is the best store since 90s/00s Fry's.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Toss up between Argos and GAME.
Getting my Argos card, then grabbing my Ps2 with ZOE from there moments later was such a high.
Bought my PS5 and Series X from Very.
Probably will do the same for Switch 2 if they offer a preorder service.
Argos and GAME are drying up these days, which is a great shame.
Nothing beats grabbing a console on launch day from a dedicated video game store after queuing with other hardcore fans.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Cex as it always smells so nice in there.

Cex is an assault on ALL the senses.