More than 45 buses for €29.99: Why is Bus Simulator 27 so cheap?

Judging by its scope, Bus Simulator 27 initially does not sound like a €29.99 game. Astragon and Simteract promise the largest vehicle selection in the series so far, with more than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 manufacturers included in the base game. Brands include Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Solaris, IVECO BUS, Scania and Volvo. Standard buses, articulated buses, double-deckers, electric buses and, for the first time in the series, proper coaches are all included.

The complete map is also part of the cheaper Standard Edition. Felicia Bay is a fictional southern European region inspired by Spain and Portugal, featuring the two cities of Alcaztelar and Mequina and 20 distinct districts. Dynamic weather, a full day-night cycle and busy streets powered by Unreal Engine 5 are also promised.

Players will do more than simply drive. Bus Simulator 27 includes Story, Career and Sandbox modes. You can play as a driver, inspector or passenger, create routes, manage timetables, hire drivers and control your fleet. Up to four players can cooperate online, with crossplay also advertised. PC players will additionally receive mod.io support.

The regular PC price for all of this is €29.99. That is particularly notable given the announced scope. Dividing the price only by the more than 45 buses works out at less than 67 cents per vehicle, even before counting the map, game modes and management systems. European retailers also list €29.99 as the regular PC price.

The Year 1 Edition costs €49.99, exactly €20 more. That makes it roughly 67 percent more expensive than the Standard Edition.

The additional money does not buy a larger launch map or fundamental gameplay modes. Instead, the Year 1 Edition includes the complete game plus the Year 1 Season Pass: the Mercedes-Benz Intouro Bus DLC, a FlixBus Coach Expansion, two additional Bus Packs and two Cosmetic Packs. That means six additional content packs scheduled across 2026 and 2027. The publisher states that the bundle saves more than 16 percent compared with purchasing the content separately later.

That makes the choice unusually interesting. Anyone who simply wants Bus Simulator 27 already receives the complete base game for €29.99 and does not lose access to the map or its central gameplay systems. The Year 1 Edition is primarily aimed at players who already know they will want the later vehicles and expansions.

Pre-orders also receive a Deluxe Pack containing two additional buses and four skins. Participating retailers additionally advertise five days of early access for the Year 1 Edition beginning on September 3, while the regular release follows on September 8, 2026.

Platform pricing is important, however. The €29.99 and €49.99 figures discussed here refer to the PC versions and their regular European price basis. Console prices can differ; the German Microsoft Store, for example, currently lists higher Xbox prices.

Even with that distinction, the Standard Edition looks notable. Under €30 is being asked not for a handful of vehicles and a small city, but for more than 45 licensed buses, two cities, 20 districts, management, co-op and the series’ first coach operations.

The more interesting question may therefore not be whether €29.99 is cheap. It is whether the Standard Edition is already so substantial that many players simply will not need the €20-more-expensive Year 1 Edition.

Which would you choose: €29.99 for the complete base game or €49.99 including the Year 1 content?