Genshin Impact's opening is gorgeous and unhurried: you wake in a new world, meet your floating guide and are exploring cliffs and rivers well within the hour. Nothing is on sale at first, because the shop stays locked until you have progressed a little. The business model arrives later, and it is built around Wishes: randomised banners where new characters are drawn, with published rates and a guarantee after a set number of pulls.
The first hour, minute by minute
- 00:00
Account and download
Create or sign in to a HoYoverse account before the first scene. The PC download needs about 110 GB, and an SSD is recommended.
- 00:30
The opening scene
A short cinematic sets up the story of two twins separated by a god. You choose which twin you play.
- 00:36
Meeting Paimon
Your guide for the whole game arrives, and the tutorial teaches movement, climbing, gliding and your first element.
- 00:45
First camps and a new friend
Small fights against camp monsters teach combat, then you meet the first character who joins your party for free.
- 00:55
Free roaming
The world opens up. Climbing any cliff and gliding off it is the moment Genshin sells itself.
- 01:00
Where you stand
On the road to the first city. The shop and Wishes are still locked; they unlock after an early story quest and Adventure Rank 5.
What the first hour gets right
Genshin's opening is a masterclass in tone. The music, the landscapes and the easy movement make the first hour feel like a holiday rather than a tutorial. Climbing, gliding and swimming are all yours within minutes, and every ridge shows you somewhere new to go.
Crucially, nothing is sold in the first stretch. The shop and Wishes unlock only after an early story quest, so a new player meets the game before the store.
Where it asks a lot
The download is large on every platform, and a HoYoverse account comes before anything else. On PlayStation the account is made for you and linked to your PSN account, which is smoother.
Combat depends on mixing elements between party members, and the characters that make it shine are the ones you draw from banners. The free characters are enough to finish the story, but the game never stops showing you who you don't have.
Money: crystals, Welkin and Wishes
Genesis Crystals are the paid currency. On PC and phones they run from 60 for 99p to 6,480 for £99.99, and the first purchase of each size is doubled. PlayStation prices are slightly lower at most sizes. Crystals convert into Primogems, and 160 Primogems buy one Wish.
The best-value purchase is the Blessing of the Welkin Moon at £4.99: 300 crystals straight away and 90 Primogems for each day you log in over 30 days. The battle pass, the Gnostic Hymn, is £9.99. A month of both is £14.98.
Wishes are where money disappears. The top rarity on a character banner has a base rate of 0.6%, with a guaranteed five-star at 90 pulls and a guaranteed featured character by 180 pulls at worst. HoYoverse publishes all of this, which is right, but 180 pulls cost roughly £435. We don't recommend buying pulls at all.
Who should play it
Players who love exploring a beautiful world at their own pace, and who can enjoy the free characters without needing the latest one. It is superb value played free. Parents should set a spending limit before the Wish screen unlocks.
What we liked, what we didn't
Worth your hour
- A stunning open world, free to explore for months
- Nothing sold before an early story quest
- Welkin Moon is honest value at £4.99
- Cross-progression across PC, consoles and phones
Watch out for
- New characters sold through random Wishes with a 0.6% base rate
- A guaranteed featured character can cost around £435
- Large downloads on every platform
- Currency bundles never match pull prices
What Genshin Impact really costs
Free, or included in the price
- The full story and the whole open world
- Several characters given through the story, plus free event characters
- Primogems from quests, exploration, daily tasks and events
- Four-player co-op across platforms
Price list (UK, VAT included)
| Item | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Genesis Crystals | £0.99 | First purchase of each size is doubled |
| 300 + 30 crystals | £4.99 | |
| 980 + 110 crystals | £14.99 | |
| 1,980 + 260 crystals | £29.99 | |
| 3,280 + 600 crystals | £49.99 | |
| 6,480 + 1,600 crystals | £99.99 | PlayStation price £87.99 |
| Blessing of the Welkin Moon | £4.99 | 300 crystals now, 90 Primogems a day for 30 days if you log in |
| Gnostic Hymn battle pass | £9.99 | Paid track of the roughly six-week pass |
| Gnostic Chorus battle pass | £19.99 | Hymn plus 10 levels and an extra gift pack |
| One Wish | about £2.42 | 160 Primogems; worked out from crystal prices |
Genshin's new characters and weapons are sold through Wishes. HoYoverse publishes the rates: a 0.6% base chance of a five-star on the character banner, a guaranteed five-star within 90 Wishes, and a guaranteed featured character within 180 Wishes at worst. At about £2.42 a Wish, that worst case is roughly £435.
Our month-one advice
Play free until the story unlocks the shop. If you then want to spend, the Welkin Moon at £4.99 is the only purchase we'd call good value. Add the £9.99 Gnostic Hymn only if you are playing most days. Leave Wishes to your free Primogems.
Prices checked 24 September 2026 on the official UK stores. They change with sales and currency updates, so the store checkout price is the one that counts.
How to pay for Genshin Impact in the UK · Set a spending limit first
Questions people ask
Is Genshin Impact free to play?
Yes. The whole story and world are free. Money buys Genesis Crystals, the Welkin Moon, the battle pass and Wishes for new characters.
How much is the Welkin Moon in the UK?
£4.99 on PC and phones, and £4.49 on PlayStation. It gives 300 crystals at once and 90 Primogems a day for 30 days, if you log in.
What are the Wish rates?
HoYoverse publishes them: 0.6% base chance of a five-star character, a guaranteed five-star within 90 Wishes and a guaranteed featured character within 180.
Can I stop a child spending in Genshin Impact?
HoYoverse's parental payment controls apply to US players only. In the UK, use the controls of the platform the game is bought through, and keep cards off any PC account a child uses.
