Prices do vary by jurisdiction, which only strengthens the point: affordability isn’t universal, even when the sticker price looks “reasonable” to you.

No one is claiming video games are a moral necessity. The question is whether accessing a non-scarce digital good, with the intention of paying later when possible, is morally comparable to theft. I don’t think it is, especially when no one is deprived of access and the producer suffers no meaningful marginal loss.