A PS3® bundle is a package in which you get a Sony Playstation 3 games console plus other items such as games or accessories. The price of the bundle will be less than the total price of the console and items sold separately. Such bundles are often a good deal, but the apparent savings can be misleading.
Bear in mind that the discount on a PS3® bundle will only be in comparison to the separate prices charged by the retailer concerned. Prices on both consoles and games vary widely, meaning that the same combination of console, games and accessories may actually work out cheaper if you buy them separately from one or more other retailers.
Always remember to check delivery costs when buying online. Some companies offer free delivery, while others charge rates ranging from the actual cost paid to a shipping firm right through to rates which would be described as extortionate. You must factor in the costs of delivery when working out if a PS3® bundle represents a good deal.
You should give some thought to the games which are being offered to make sure they will really be of value. It may seem like a bargain to get a game with a retail price of $60 US Dollars (USD) for what works out to be only $30 USD more than buying the console alone. However, $30 USD is arguably a waste of money for a game which you will not play very often. While many bundles included popular games which have wide appeal, some retailers use bundles as a way to shift games of lower quality which have not sold well.
Remember that you may be able to get a good deal by buying a PS3® console and then immediately selling some of the games or accessories which are bundled with it. However, bear in mind that you won’t necessarily make as much money back from this as you might think. Games in bundles are usually older and more popular releases. This means that there may be an abundant supply of the game in the secondhand market, driving down even the price of a new copy. Check carefully to see how much you are likely to get selling a game before using this strategy.
A PS3® bundle may also include accessories. For example, this could include extra controllers, including wireless models, which may be handy if you expect to play with friends and family fairly regularly. Another useful accessory is a remote control which is used to control the machine’s Blu-Ray® playback functions. This can be a very handy alternative to the more fiddly system of using the main PS3® controller to operate the playback.