Summary
Buying The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) can be confusing because the game has grown far beyond its original base game. Today, ESO includes the base game, major Chapters, smaller DLCs, seasonal content, the Crown Store, and the ESO Plus subscription.
The good news is that you do not need to purchase everything separately. Depending on how much you plan to play, there are several ways to get access to ESO's content. If you're short on gold for in-game purchases, buy The Elder Scrolls Online Gold to cover the costs of DLCs, crafting materials, or gear.
What Does The Elder Scrolls Online Include?
ESO can generally be divided into three main parts: the base game, major Chapters, and smaller DLC additions.
The Base Game
The base game already offers a huge amount of content. It includes a large portion of Tamriel, story quests, PvE activities, PvP areas such as Cyrodiil and the Imperial City, dungeons, crafting, and character progression.
For a new player, there is more than enough content here to learn the game, experiment with different builds, and spend hundreds of hours exploring.
The current Standard Edition is therefore a reasonable starting point if you have never played ESO before.
Chapters and DLC
Major Chapters add large new areas, storylines, mechanics, and other features. Over the years, ESO has introduced major expansions such as Morrowind, Summerset, Elsweyr, Greymoor, Blackwood, High Isle, Necrom, Gold Road, and newer seasonal content.
Smaller DLC packs are another part of the game. These can add new locations, guilds, skills, dungeons, and other activities.
Not every DLC is equally important for every player, so there is little reason to buy everything immediately.
Which ESO Edition Should You Buy?
The easiest way to get started is to choose between the Standard Edition and a larger Deluxe Edition.
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition is the cheapest entry point and includes the base game together with Morrowind.
It is a good choice if you:
Have never played ESO before
Want to try the game before spending more money
Mainly want the base-game experience
Plan to add ESO Plus later
For a new player, starting with the Standard Edition is often the safest option.
Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition is aimed at players who want a much larger collection of ESO's major content from the beginning.
According to the material, the current package includes the base game and the major Chapters, together with newer seasonal content included in the relevant edition.
The biggest advantage is convenience. Instead of purchasing every major expansion individually, you can obtain a large amount of content in one purchase.
ESO also allows purchases to be combined. If you played several years ago and already own older content, buying a newer edition can add the major content you are missing.
Always check the exact product description before purchasing because the contents of ESO editions can change over time.
Is ESO Plus Worth It?
For regular players, ESO Plus is one of the most convenient ways to access ESO's content.
The subscription provides access to eligible DLC and also includes several important quality-of-life benefits.
The Craft Bag
The biggest advantage for many players is the Craft Bag.
ESO has a huge number of crafting materials, and inventory management can quickly become a problem. ESO Plus allows crafting materials to be stored in the Craft Bag, making gathering and crafting much more convenient.
The subscription also increases bank space and provides monthly Crowns that can be spent in the Crown Store.
ESO Plus vs Buying DLC
The main difference is ownership.
When you purchase an expansion permanently, you keep access to it. ESO Plus, on the other hand, provides access to eligible DLC while your subscription is active.
For players who spend a lot of time in ESO, the combination of permanent major content and ESO Plus can be a particularly comfortable setup.
You also do not necessarily need to buy every small DLC individually if you plan to maintain an ESO Plus subscription.
How Do Crowns and Crown Store Purchases Work?
ESO uses Crowns as its premium currency. Crowns can be used to purchase DLC and other items from the Crown Store.
The game's gifting system also creates another way for players to obtain Crown Store content through other players.
Crown Trading With Other Players
According to the provided material, players can exchange in-game gold for Crown Store items through trusted players or guild members.
The general process is simple: players agree on a Crown price, one player sends the agreed amount of gold, and the other player gifts the requested Crown Store item.
However, this system relies heavily on trust. If you use this method, it is important to deal with people you trust and keep records of the transaction.
Guild communities can be useful for finding players who regularly participate in these exchanges.
Steam, Epic Games, or the Official Launcher?
ESO can be accessed through Steam, Epic Games, or the official launcher.
The actual game world and servers are the same. The main difference is how you launch and authenticate the game.
Why Steam Is Convenient
For players who want an easy way to purchase additional content, Steam is particularly convenient.
The Steam version can be connected to an existing ESO account. This can be useful for returning players who originally played ESO through the standalone launcher but now want to use Steam.
If you already own ESO outside Steam, you generally need to purchase an ESO edition on Steam before linking the accounts.
Once the accounts are linked, your ESO progress and characters remain associated with your ESO account.
Can an Old ESO Account Be Moved to Steam?
Yes. The material specifically highlights that an old ESO account can be connected to Steam by purchasing the game on the desired platform.
For example, if you originally played through the official launcher, purchasing an ESO edition on Steam can allow you to link the accounts and use Steam to access the game.
This makes Steam a practical option for returning players who want to consolidate their ESO experience.
What Is the Best Way to Buy ESO?
The best option depends on how seriously you plan to play.
For New Players
If you are completely new to ESO, start with the Standard Edition.
It provides the base game and enough content to determine whether ESO is the MMO you want to spend hundreds of hours playing.
There is no reason to purchase every DLC immediately.
For Long-Term Players
If you already know that you want to play ESO extensively, consider purchasing a Deluxe Edition that includes the major Chapters and current content offered in that package.
After that, ESO Plus can provide access to eligible DLC and significantly improve inventory and crafting management.
For Returning Players
Returning players should first check what content they already own.
If you played during an older Chapter, you do not necessarily need to repurchase everything. A newer edition can add the major content you are missing, while ESO Plus can provide access to eligible DLC during the subscription period.
You can also connect an existing ESO account to Steam if you want to switch from the standalone launcher.
Final Buying Recommendation
ESO's current content model makes it unnecessary to buy every expansion and DLC separately.
For a new player, the Standard Edition is the easiest and cheapest way to enter Tamriel. If you already know you want the full experience, a Deluxe Edition containing the major Chapters is a better long-term purchase.
For players who spend a lot of time crafting, collecting, and exploring, ESO Plus is especially valuable because of its Craft Bag, additional storage, monthly Crowns, and access to eligible DLC.
Ultimately, the most convenient setup is usually a permanent edition containing the major content you want plus ESO Plus for its ongoing benefits. This lets you enjoy ESO's huge amount of existing content without having to purchase every individual addition as soon as it releases. If you'd rather skip the gold grind for crafting materials and gear, The Elder Scrolls Online Gold offers a shortcut to fund those in-game purchases.
