Shadowing Practice: Gaming Doesn't Have To Be Expensive. - Learn English Speaking with Video

Now, a few weeks ago, I saw this post on Reddit from anyiunique asking

if there's any affordable way to get into gaming left for under $500 for someone who doesn't have anything.

No TV, no previous PC setup, no laptop.

And some of the comments just said, Dude, gaming's not the hobby for you if you only have $500.

Dare I say, that's too disheartening and sad.

What if you're a kid or a teenager?

Then you have even less.

Back in the day, gaming was a lot cheaper.

You could get a whole GameCube and a game for $99 bucks

so i dare to say even in 2026 there is hope

as someone that's been slowly getting into gaming since my kid

is finally old enough to give me back some spare time

i seriously wondered what would be the most affordable way to

go about it even a used budget tv runs about a hundred bucks

and that's already a fifth of the budget don't forget the controllers

and the actual cost of the games

but i really think the best way to go about this specific question would be with a handheld console something

that includes the tv the controllers and the console itself

and you get access to a bunch of new games as

well as a bunch of older ones now at first thought there's an obvious answer

and that's the switch one or the switch lite

which came out in 2017 and 2019 respectively

and i know what you're thinking the prices for these things new is a bit outrageous for something this old

and underpowered but used it's extremely affordable at a bit over a hundred bucks pretty much everyone

and their mom owns one it's one of the best -selling

consoles of all time you won't have a problem finding a good deal off facebook marketplace

or ebay or wherever you buy used stuff

and it's got a huge game library

if you're lucky someone might throw in a few games too plus

if you someday get a huge pay bump

or upgrade to the switch 2 you can still play your games

but there's another huge elephant in the room you have the console

but now you need to add on the price of games

if you're buying fancy triple a and first party nintendo games then

that costs big money i have 50 to 80 dollars a

game that's two games for the same price for the console itself.

Now sure, you could buy used or wait for a sale, and we're going to get into that later.

So while I was contemplating this idea, one of our writers, Tyson, proposed another idea.

One that's potentially better, but maybe not.

What if there's another method that might cost more upfront, but you end up spending less for each individual game as time goes on?

And that's the LCD Steam Deck, which came out in 2022.

They're no longer available from Valve, but they go for about $400 on the used market.

Perhaps even less if you find a really, really good deal.

This way, you can unlock a bigger game library

that also costs less over time with all those big sales

steam is always having throughout the year between the switch one at its super affordable price

but with an expensive game library versus the more affordable lcd steam deck with their entire steam library

which one is better which one makes the most sense to get right now in 2026

so i perused ebay and the facebook marketplace for a couple days contacted a bunch of people

and put in these offers to get these devices at their used prices.

The switch came first and upon opening it, I had no idea if I had just been really lucky

or I got a limited edition style switch or if it was shell swapped.

It has these little characters on the back and on the dock, but there's nothing on the internet that can tell me what switch I got.

Oh well, it looks cool and it turned on.

Now there are a couple scratches everywhere on the screen.

Joy -cons are a little wobbly, but I think that's normal.

It's clearly been used for a long time with love.

The back kickstand can barely hold up its own weight, but looky here, I believe I got really lucky with this.

In my beginner -iness to gaming, I didn't realize the Nintendo Switch only has 32 gigabytes of internal storage that holds like one quarter of a cyberpunk.

Now, I would have to go out and buy myself a microSD card.

Thankfully, my used Switch comes with a 512 gigabyte microSD, which goes for like $100 on Amazon.

What a deal it also comes with a dock so that's nice

but it's not worth all that much in the grand scheme of things maybe 30 bucks

if i bought one

and on the other hand my steam deck lcd 256 gigabytes

cost 400 it looks like brand new there are no scratches

i mean it really looks like it wasn't used all

that often to begin with like it's sat on a shelf it comes with the case

but it's really bulky this one has 256 gigabytes of storage

but i really think you can find a 512 one for 400 if you look hard enough.

Even so, 256 is leagues more than 32.

Now before we start buying games though, let's establish the criteria.

Since this is a value -based experiment, we have to look at the total cost of potential subscriptions, games, and time investment.

Or if you want a little extra finesse, then we need a controller.

Though, we're gaming on the cheap here.

We don't want to spend another 60 to 100 dollars on a nice controller.

That kind of defeats the point.

Fortunately, you don't have to.

With today's sponsor, Mobipad, you can get the C2 Lite, a pro -style controller for the Switch 1 and 2 that costs under $30.

I expected something that felt like $30 controller, but the joysticks actually felt great.

They're hall effects, so they're resistant to stick drift, and Mobipad's glide design keeps the stick from grinding against the outer ring.

The grip feels good, and the battery lasts up to 20 hours, which means I can sit back and game the whole day away.

I can also game the night away too with their quiet membrane buttons.

You won't risk waking up your roommates, family or in my case, a two -year -old toddler.

It works for PC, iOS, and Android too.

Plus, it's customizable with Mobipad's own app.

So if you want to elevate your gaming experience without blowing the budget, check out the Mobipad C2 Lite in the description below.

Listen to these buttons.

So far, we've looked at basic console costs, which here, $150, $250 if you throw in storage, compared to $400 makes it pretty obvious as to which one's more affordable.

As for games to even out the playing field, I'll be buying 10 games on each platform.

Five more modern -y AAA and five indie games.

There's added cost to, which we'll get to, but for now, let's check out some games.

On the Nintendo side, I'm going to categorize AAA as Nintendo exclusive.

I mean, it's only fair.

We'll go with some classics like Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart 8, and Tears of the Kingdom.

I mean, that's like over 500 hours of gameplay.

Easy.

The indie side's a bit harder.

I chose Slay the Spire since Jake loves it piku niku

100

since abby one of our writers recommended it ace attorney since i love it

101

and spyro because my daughter loves it

102

and octopath traveler recommended to me for my sister

103

that library's looking pretty good right

104

but how much does it all cost as i was lamenting on spending money on expensive games i realized

105

that like steam nintendo has deals too i found this site called deku deals

106

that you can make an account and wish list a bunch of stuff

107

and then it'll alert you

108

if goes on sale it's pretty cool for my indie games i paid a total of 70 for the five

109

and using a combination of used cartridges borrowing games from a co -worker

110

and buying digitally i paid a total of 128 for the five nintendo exclusives

111

so cartridges are one of the biggest money savers here you

112

make some friends you buy them used you resell them

113

when you're done and you can pretty much infinitely play new games

114

so that's 198 total about 20 a game on average

115

if you add 100 for the micro sd card 150 for

116

the console we're at 448 now you can do something crazy like get a used tv for 50 pray

117

that it works and use your switch docked for some more firepower

118

or you can pay 20 a year for a nintendo switch online

119

which unlocks online play plus access to their very limited emulation library

120

if you do 50 though you get even more emulation it's not terrible

121

but i tested it and it's really limited

122

so the 10 games we got will last a heck of a long time to play them all

123

and many of them have replay value there is one small caveat

124

and that's nintendo's return policy there is not basically any digital

125

purchases you make are non -refundable on the other hand steam lets you return games within 14 days

126

if you have less than two hours of gameplay we're getting

127

ahead of ourselves let's take a look at the steam game store instead steam is known for deals

128

and sales all the time deku deals as well as is

129

there any deal .com lets you wish list of the things

130

alert you until you're on sale there are super useful

131

if you want to check price history

132

and just wait until the time is right steam has a top secret weapon here

133

that can make it an instant win

134

if you have a friend a family member

135

or maybe even a co -worker who trusts you enough they

136

can add you to their steam family now you can essentially

137

share the games with them making them all free for you

138

as long as you're both not trying to play the same

139

games at the same time i did this with my husband a

140

while back since he has a bigger backlog than i did

141

now he never ever plays through now you can get yourself a tv

142

and a dock and a control

143

and you can use it with your console with all your extra money multiplayer is also completely free

144

so there's no subscription cost it's also a newer device

145

which means it'll last longer as time goes by this just feels like an instant win right

146

but before we jump to conclusions let's go game shopping here

147

luckily i made this video during the steam summer sale

148

so there were deals galore fret not though

149

because i think steam has sales every quarter look here's a

150

great deal for avatar frontiers of pandora for 18 down from 30

151

but as you scroll down apparently it's not supported on steam deck that's sort of a bummer

152

so instead let's go to the great on deck section

153

and at first glance there are a lot of great deals

154

cyberpunk 2077 for 18 bucks doom the dark ages for 23

155

but look there's games that cost less than five dollars each a binding of isaac rebirth barony

156

and even the witcher 3 for 3 .99 that's crazy even

157

with only a hundred dollars left for games we could seriously stretch that Sure, we're not playing the latest and greatest Forza Horizon 6 or Elden Ring, but eventually those games got a go on sale.

158

So I opted for a couple indie games like Slay the Spire 2.

159

This one was a bit of a splurge.

160

Jake really wanted to play it, and since it's a new game that is exclusive to Steam, there were zero sales.

161

It was 24 bucks.

162

I got Hades for 6, LEGO Star Wars for 8, Spyro for 15, and Stardew Valley for 9.

163

These indie games totaled $64.

164

Well, I guess I'm begging to get on Tyson's Family Plan, who loves new AAA games, or else I'm stuck with less than $40 for my newish game selection.

165

I know, looking at all these sales, it's easy to just want to hoard the games, but I do actually need to go and play them.

166

Slay the Spire 2 alone fills up a lot of my gaming time.

167

I've accumulated maybe 35 hours on it, but that's a lot for me.

168

So despite whatever preconceived notions there might be, both the Switch 1 and the Steam Deck actually have really good selection with good sales on their games.

169

One here doesn't obviously beat out the other, unless you fall into the exclusive category.

170

Nintendo has their exclusives that you literally cannot get anywhere else unless you're crafty

171

but steam has advantages too like play the spire 2

172

which is only on steam currently a free multiplayer is a

173

huge bonus there are zero subscriptions it also has one more huge advantage up its sleeve

174

and that's emulation

175

because the steam deck is literally a pc you can download

176

emulators it has everything a regular computer does now you have

177

expanded your game selection to pretty much every previous console generation

178

you have no subscription no extra costs other than setting it up

179

and acquiring your roms thankfully the setting up has been done

180

for you through something called emu deck it's literally a one -click script

181

that you press once

182

and that's it you got psp ps2 gamecube n64 the world is your oyster with some google

183

and some troubleshooting you have old games running in no time

184

at all there's a full community source steam deck emulation compatibility

185

list you just check the game you want to play

186

and then you play it it's great i'll link it below add

187

that to having friends that's willing to help you acquire games

188

now you have endless gaming potential not to mention the cool

189

customizable things you can do with something like decky loader you

190

can change the home screen look add in cool plugins use

191

custom artwork at this point i really was leaning all the

192

way towards my steam deck it's a more powerful device bigger games library free multiplayer

193

and it's open you're not locked to nintendo even though it's

194

more expensive it did make a lot of sense since i'm not in love with nintendo

195

but you know what matters a bit more than the cost

196

of games is actually playing them in terms of usability this

197

is where things took a bit of a turn the switch

198

one is really lightweight at only 14 ounces that's less than

199

a pound compared to the steam deck at one pound seven ounces

200

which is half a pound more and it's chonky

201

so throughout the day it was just easier to pick up

202

and play the switch randomly where the steam deck feels more like an investment i may be the exception

203

because i'm one of those filthy casual gamers only game like

204

an hour a day after my kid goes to sleep maybe

205

you want a more dedicated gaming device with a better processor better display

206

and better everything then the steam deck wins out except

207

if you have small hands the extra width of the Steam Deck that's needed to fit the D -pad, the joystick, and the trackpad makes it a lot bulkier on the sides.

208

They do have the paddles on the back for those ultra intense gamer Dark Souls moments if you're into that.

209

Even carrying around the Switch is easier.

210

It's a good three inches shorter, it's thinner, and it's more compact.

211

It doesn't fit in my pockets, but it's an easy add to my backpack without weighing it down too much.

212

And the fact that the screen is already scratched up makes it so easy for me to be like, I'm putting it anywhere.

213

And the best part is you can make it two -player by disconnecting the Joy -Cons and using the kickstand.

214

It's a tiny screen, but the possibility is there.

215

It's also extremely easy to put in a game, download a game, and just open it up and start playing.

216

The experience is very streamlined.

217

Even with all that said, after a couple weeks of playing on both devices though, which one is ultimately the better choice?

218

Well, it's not an easy choice.

219

Nintendo is Nintendo.

220

They have exclusives, family games, and they're really easy to pick up and play.

221

And Steam is Steam.

222

You do get a lot more in terms of tinkering because you have a PC in your hands.

223

In a way, they serve different types of gamers.

224

If I had to make a decision, I'd have to go with the Steam Deck.

225

I know, it's a shocker.

226

But despite having a super fun time with Super Mario Odyssey and wandering around the world of Breath of the Wild, I think I'm just more of a social gamer

227

and there's not much that beats playing Slay the Spire 2 with my husband.

228

Honestly, both devices are great choices to have.

229

They don't overlap all that much, surprisingly.

230

So if you do have a little bit more money, you technically could have both but that's not money saving, that's money spending.

231

If you don't want any of those and just want to go the retro handheld route, check out our video on the AYN Thor here.

232

It's got two screens, it's ultra portable and it can run a ton of games for under 400 bucks.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Gaming Doesn't Have To Be Expensive”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: steam, switch, deck, cost, nintendo. This video has 232 sentences and 2940 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:39. The speaker talks fast, about 215 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
deck noun	/ˈdɛk/	Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.
console noun	/ˈkɑn.soʊl/	A stand-alone cabinet designed to stand on the floor; especially, one integrated with home entertainment equipment, such as a TV or stereo system.
buck noun	/ˈbʌk/	A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret, salmonid, shad, skunk and kangaroo.
affordable adjective	/əˈfɔɹ.də.bəl/	Able to be afforded; inexpensive or reasonably priced.
controller noun	/kənˈtɹoʊlɚ/	One who controls something.
indie noun	/ˈɪndi/	An independent publisher.
subscription noun	/səbˈskɹɪpʃən/	Access to a resource for a period of time, generally for payment.
dock noun	/dɑk/	A fixed structure attached to shore to which a vessel is secured when in port; usually for loading and unloading.
pound noun	/ˈpaʊ̯nd/	A unit of weight in various measurement systems.
scratch verb	/skɹæt͡ʃ/	To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
multiplayer adjective	/ˌmʌl.tiˈpleɪ.əɹ/	Requiring or allowing multiple (or more than the usual two) players to play simultaneously.
lite adjective	/laɪt/	Abridged or lesser; being a simpler or unpaid version of a product.
worker noun	/ˈwɝ.kɚ/	One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor.
instant noun	/ˈɪnstənt/	A very short period of time; a moment.
alert adjective	/əˈlɝt/	Attentive; awake; on guard.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
come out in verb	to be afflicted by (a visible disruption of the body)
pick up verb	To lift; to grasp and raise.
beat out verb	To sound a rhythm on a percussion instrument such as a drum.
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
fill up verb	To make (something) completely full.
go out verb	To leave, especially a building.
hold up verb	To wait or delay.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Dare I say, that's too disheartening and sad.
What if you're a kid or a teenager?
Though, we're gaming on the cheap here.
Fortunately, you don't have to.
I mean, it's only fair.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	we've looked · I've accumulated · has been done
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is known · has been done · is already scratched
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	someone who doesn · hours, which means

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 47 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thin /ˈθɪn/, width /ˈwɪtθ/, filthy /ˈfɪlθi/, rebirth /ɹiːˈbɜːθ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: subscription /səbˈskɹɪpʃən/, establish /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/
Long words — get the stress right: affordable /əˈfɔɹ.də.bəl/, multiplayer /ˌmʌl.tiˈpleɪ.əɹ/, respectively /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like deck, console, buck.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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