On this page we’ll look at the different physical game subscriptions currently operating, which ones are running in the US, UK, Canada,  Australia, or India, and how they operate. The aim is to build up some strong info which will definitely help to compare those services should you be thinking of going down the game rental route.

Let’s start with the basics……

How Do Physical Game Rental Subscriptions Work?

​Straightforward stuff really. You identify who you want to sign up with, decide which plan you want, register to pay a monthly fee, choose your game(s),  and the rental service will post those to your door. Often by first class mail.

When you’re ready, or at the end of the agreed rental period, send the game back in the supplied envelope and request your next one(s).

Can I Rent More Than 1 Game At a Time?

That depends on how the rental service you’ve subscribed to operates and which rental plan you have selected. Some may limit to one at a time, others may allow multiple.

Cost Savings

The question ‘ how much money do I save by subscribing’ is likely to be the most pressing one to determine whether you’ll want to pay rental on a monthly basis. Let’s look at some basic figures….

We’ll take an example of a game costing $/£50…and you play through most of it in a month…then trade it in for let’s say $/£20. You may do similar many times a year, leading to an overall cost of hundreds of $/£s. Game rental might be let’s say $10/£10 a month. It’s fairly easy to see that you could easily end up spending more buying outright than renting on a subscription. The trade-off is that you won’t actually own the games.

Where Can I Go? Who Are The Leading Game Rental Firms?

OK so the benefits are clear, and you’re set on signing up a with a monthly rental service. Now it’s all down to comparing those services. Whenever you are comparing something you need to look like for like as far as possible, and base a comparison on a number of aspects – price, range of games, reputation and reliability, and more. Plus of course you need to know which services operate in your country.

Let’s see who the game rental firms are on a country by country basis: 

UK 

Paramount Gaming   More Info….

Games delivered by registered first class in a package that’ll fit through your letterbox, along with a prepaid return envelope.  The service allows a mix and match of different game types across different platforms – mobile, console, etc.

You won’t always get the game you’ve requested, but if unavailable then it’ll go on a list to get to you next time. ‘Play More Save More’ seems to be a good slogan for this gamer-led outfit.

Boomerang Games   More Info….

Some good advice – it’s a good idea to aim for a package at least as high as the £11.99 Priority 1. Any lower and you’ll most likely find that (some of) the games you request will already be rented out to  members who pay the higher subscription rates.

Visit Boomerang 

USA

GameFly – More Info………….

Some good features include the ability to preview game-play on titles before you choose, a chat facility, plus using the mobile app has some benefits aside from the obvious of choosing games on the move –  it’ll send a notification when your next shipment goes out.

Drawbacks include an issue that affects many similar services – availability of games. Clearly Gamefly won’t have an unlimited number of specific titles ready to ship at any time, so there’s always a risk they may not have the title you want and you’ll need to wait. 

The games library does only lists console and handheld games, but the service does have an option for PC games. By downloading the GameFly streaming app to certain smart TVs or a set-top box such as the Amazon Fire TV, you are able to stream certain PC games to play on your TV.

Visit Gamefly

Canada

India

Australia

Latest News

Latest news and developments in the rental industry will appear here – none to report at present.

Video Guides

There are a handful of videos on game rental services on Youtube that are worth a viewing. This one below on the UK’s Boomerang Games is probably the best of them, and while obviously appealing more to UK based prospective subscribers it does give you a flavor of what you can expect from alternative game rental firms.

Benefits 

One of the main benefits in getting physical deliveries is that of anticipation and surprise. Two things we arguably don’t get enough of when pretty much anything is only a few clicks away. Both generate excitement, and you’ll get the joy of searching for a game, waiting for it, and then opening your mail/unpacking your delivery to inspect the contents…and ultimately play.

Crate subscriptions deliver these elements to a high degree of course.

The other main benefit is in avoiding the worries over internet connectivity and/or the resource intense nature of some games. Plus of course whether you’d get your data allowance capped. Just downloading a game can take hours, and a physical disc can be loaded up and played in a fraction of the time. 

Drawbacks

There  are not too many drawbacks of renting games. Once you’ve decided to go for a rental subscription then you’ve clearly already decided to rule out other options like PC, console, or Cloud games.

Most likely the main drawback you’ll encounter will be around availability, and being able to get every game you choose first time. Each supplier will only have limited inventory, so the most popular games will be the first to ‘sell out’ and you may have to go on a waiting list to get the game you want.

Postal delays can be a minor problem at times, though definitely less of an issue in the Western countries.

Best Game Rentals

If we want to label any one service as the best, we need to look at it from a number of perspectives. You may want the best on price, the best for different subscription options, the best for range of games, or overall the best on quality and the all round service wrap.

More  importantly perhaps than all these is just looking at the best in country. After all, that’s the ultimate choice that’s open to you.

The best games rental services in the US and Canada are easy to determine – with only GameFly and GameAccess respectively available as dedicated game rental services in those regions. iFlipd is interesting though for US students with a low cost model set at $2 a week (they also rent student textbooks).

In the UK, all four available services have good points.  Boomerang and Paramount Games are the biggest operators.

The two competitors in India don’t seem to have much between them, while Australia’s top option would be GetGaming.co.au as the only firm dedicated solely to game rentals on the list. 

Resources

We’ve put together a fairly intensive review of game rental options on this page, but there are always other resources which will give some great supporting information.

This report by Ibisworld explores the general state of the game rental industry in the UK. 

Alternatives to Renting

There are a handful of alternatives to subscribing to a physical rental service to get your games.

1. Keep on the lookout for demos or free offers

2. Sign up for a free trial and cancel before the subscription kicks in

3. Wait till prices of titles drop and  pick up games in sales

4. Watch out for second hand games in stores or places like Ebay

5. Forget renting and go for one of the other types of virtual subscription games services. 

The Future

Determining the long term future of physical game rentals is at the same time easy and unclear. It’s easy to see that the industry has already shrunk with the competition from other types of download or streaming subscriptions, but longer term if those other services don’t grow in popularity as expected then there could yet be some growth in game rentals.

Conversely, if other services do continue their path upwards, then we could ultimately see a further reduction in any options to rent your games and get them delivered to your door. 

It’s too early though to speak of the end of rental entirely. There’s life yet, and that good feeling gamer’s get when holding a real disc in their hands should ensure there is always a need for ‘reality’.

Summary

While the demand for rental services is shrinking as more gamer’s make the switch to Cloud and other subscription options, there is still room for game rental services to operate. The choice of services in different countries isn’t a wide one, but does have some good quality operators in the list.

As always, make sure you carefully read all terms and conditions before signing up with any of our listed services. That said, you’re unlikely to go wrong with renting if you want (or can’t afford not to) keep costs down while still having a wide range of games to choose from.

We should still see game rental services operating for a number of years. Enjoy your gaming!