3 Xbox One & PS4 Games To Spend Your Tax Return On

For Xbox One and PS4 owners who reside in the United States, the next few weeks are going to be something akin to Christmas Day. With tax season done, millions of Americans are poised to have a bit more spending money than they’re used to. Many will pay off critical bills or put that money towards future returns. I suspect Xbox One and PS4 owners will use that money to add more games to their growing stock pile.

Really, why wouldn’t they? It’s the perfect time to invest a bit more on games for both consoles, specifically if you didn’t purchase the console’s launch games last fall. That’s because prices have come down. Games that would have cost you $60 at launch have quickly fallen in price as game developers aim to make the transition to this generation of consoles smoother than it’s even been. The same is true of Microsoft and Sony. Games they published as exclusives for their consoles are slightly more affordable today than they were just a few short months ago when purchased on disc.

Users shouldn’t just stick to old games either. Now is the time to use that money you weren’t expect as a way to set yourself up for a bright gaming future too. New games are always coming to the Xbox One and PS4 and over the next year we’ll see many new must-haves that new console owners will want to play. Pre-ordering those isn’t such a bad idea either. Here’s a few games i’m keeping my eyes on for tax season.

Buy Ryse: Son of Rome for the Xbox One

If you’d have asked those picking up an Xbox One if Ryse: Son of Rome, a warrior game that takes place during a Roman war, was a must have they’d have said absolutely not.

Mostly, the game was dinged for repetitive combat like any open world game. However, there are a few standout features that redeem the game for tax season.

Ryse really is a showcase for all the features available to Xbox One users out of the box. The entire game has SmartGlass functionality so that users can load an app onto their smartphone and get player tips and map guides. Loading up SmartGlass also allows users to manage the weapons they have in their inventory.  Users can also give their army orders using the Xbox One’s Kinect 2 sensor. I should also note that it’s possibly the best looking game available to Xbox One users today.

The game still isn’t very cheap, it’s selling for $54.99 pre-owned at GameStop. Still, it’s an impressive title for the money.

Pre-Order Destiny for the Xbox One and PS4

September 9th is a big day for longtime fans of Halo. That’s not because there’s another game in that series debuting on that day. Instead, on that day users can expect the first game made by the creators of Halo that isn’t a Halo title to arrive.

Dubbed Destiny, the upcoming game sticks mostly to what Halo players might expect. Destiny is a first person shooter, but it also meshes the features users have come to expect from other big name online multiplayer games.

Destiny players will be able to choose different classes for their characters and improve on them with weapons and other changes. For example, the game will have Warlocks, Bounty Hunters and other character types for users to choose from. It’s a bold experiment, one that I think users will love.

Users can pre-order Destiny right now for $60 or stash that money away until the game becomes available in the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store on launch day. Destiny will come to the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles as well, though I’d think they won’t be as good looking as they will be on the newer consoles. Gamers who place a pre-order will also get access to the game’s upcoming beta test.

Buy Watch Dogs for the Xbox One and PS4

Scheduled to make its debut on May 27th, the delayed Watch Dogs is what could accurately be described as Assassin’s Creed for a modern age, I’d say. Gamers play as Aiden Pearce, a technology whiz who lives in a futuristic Chicago that’s been totally automated for the digital area. Absolutely everything in the city is manipulated by digital systems and Pearce uses those systems to reveal the truth about villains who would rather keep him quiet.

Mostly, everything in the world is completely hackable, leaving users free to use stop lights, barriers and other pieces of essential city infrastructure against unsuspecting criminals and police. Even characters on the street are hackable and include their own personalized biographical information and uses. Pearce is also well-versed in using guns.

Watch Dogs will also be $60 when it makes its debut on the Xbox One and PS4 late next month. It’ll also be available on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Of course, if you don’t own either console, investing your tax money in one of those is important too. The Xbox One and PS4 haven’t usurped their predecessor’s throne yet in terms of features, however they’re slowly starting to get more attention from game developers  exclusively. Batman: Arkham Knight and Assassin’s Creed: Unity won’t even be coming to the Xbox 360 and PS4 later this year. Users will need a next generation console to experience those games.

The Xbox One is on store shelves now for $449 with a bundled copy of Titanfall or Forza 5 Motorsport. The PS4 is costs just $399 but doesn’t include a game.