Factorio
£30 on PC, never discounted, with a free demo and a free Switch 2 upgrade.
Worth full pricefrom£27.00
- PC
- Mac
- Switch
- Switch 2
No. 05 · Real-time strategy
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, where £25.99 now buys three expansions
A 1999 strategy classic that has never been better supported. The base game is excellent value; the real question is how many of the steady stream of new expansions you want, and on which store they cost least.
Independent review. No shop or publisher pays us, and no link on this page earns us a commission. Prices are taken from each shop's UK listing on the date shown; notes on play come from official material and the published critical record, and we never claim hours we have not put in. How we rate.
Where to buy Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and how to pay
The Definitive Edition costs £25.99 on Steam and on the Microsoft Store. Since November 2024 that price has included three expansions that used to be sold separately: Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes and Dynasties of India. Buying from the Microsoft Store gives you both the Windows and Xbox versions, and a Steam copy has included a native Mac version since May 2026.
On PS5 the game is £29.99, or £44.99 for a Premium Edition with four later expansions and cosmetic icons. A copy bought elsewhere does not carry over to PlayStation.
| Shop | What you get | UK price | Ways to pay | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Definitive Edition (Windows and Mac) | £25.99 |
| Within 14 days, under two hours' play |
| Microsoft Store and Xbox | Definitive Edition (PC and Xbox) | £25.99 |
| Case by case; usually two weeks with little play |
| PlayStation Store | Standard Edition (PS5) | £29.99 |
| A fortnight, but only before any download |
A PC or Xbox copy does not unlock the PS5 version. On the PS Store the Premium Edition is £29.24 in a sale that ends 7 October 2026.
Subscriptions that include it
The game is in PC Game Pass and in the Premium and Ultimate tiers of Xbox Game Pass. The subscription covers the base game and the three bundled expansions; newer add-ons have to be bought on top. On Xbox consoles, online matches need Game Pass Essential or higher.
| Subscription | Included? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC Game Pass | Yes | Base game and the three bundled expansions; the newer add-ons are sold separately. |
| Xbox Game Pass Premium and Ultimate | Yes | Listed as included on console and cloud. |
| Xbox Game Pass Essential | No | Not in the library, but it is the tier needed for online play on Xbox. |
| PlayStation Plus Extra | No | Not in the catalogue. |
What you are paying for
Build a medieval economy from four resources (food, wood, stone and the gold you mine), advance through four ages and field armies across more than 45 civilisations. Campaigns retell history from Joan of Arc to Saladin, and there is a scenario editor, skirmishes against the computer and ranked online play.
HowLongToBeat players log around 44 hours for the campaigns alone and well past 200 for everything, and that is before online play, which is where many people spend years. PC, Xbox and PS5 players can meet in opt-in cross-play; on consoles you can use a controller or a keyboard and mouse.
The expansion treadmill
Microsoft and Forgotten Empires release two or three add-ons a year. The four from 2025 and 2026 cost £14.99, £12.49, £14.99 and £14.99, and the newest, The Viking Sagas, arrived on 22 September 2026 alongside a free rework of the Vikings for everyone. Buying the whole back catalogue on Steam comes to £90.45 through its Ultimate Bundle, whose price drops for anything you already own.
Prices differ by store for the same add-on: The Mountain Royals is £9.99 on Xbox but £12.49 on Steam and PlayStation, while Return of Rome is £9.99 on Steam and Xbox but £12.49 on PlayStation. The only other purchases are cosmetic icon packs at £2.49, and nothing is random.
How the score adds up
Why it earns its price
- Three former paid expansions included at £25.99
- One Microsoft purchase covers PC and Xbox
- In PC Game Pass
- Cross-play between PC, Xbox and PS5
What to weigh up
- Newer add-ons approach £100 all together
- Same add-on priced differently by store
- PS5 version costs more and is a separate purchase
- Online on consoles needs a subscription
Questions buyers ask
Do I get the old expansions if I buy now?
Yes. Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes and Dynasties of India have been part of the base game since November 2024, including for earlier owners.
Is it in Game Pass?
Yes, in PC Game Pass and in the Premium and Ultimate tiers. The newer paid add-ons are not included.
Can I play on Mac?
Yes, through Steam on an Apple silicon Mac since May 2026, at no extra cost to Steam owners.
Sources
Prices and terms checked on 25 September 2026. We link to the official page for each claim so you can check it yourself.
- Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, via Steam
- Age of Empires II: DE, via Microsoft Store UK
- Age of Empires II: DE, via PlayStation Store UK
- the PlayStation version, via Age of Empires support
- available now on Mac, via Age of Empires news
- three expansions made free (2024), via PCGamesN
- Age of Empires II: DE, via HowLongToBeat
- Age of Empires II: DE, via OpenCritic
Images: official store media. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition © Microsoft; developed by World's Edge and Forgotten Empires.
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