It's worth pre-ordering on Amazon if you want to check a game out, just to access Betas. No money upfront and the pre-order can be cancelled straight after.
But I agree, the vast majority of my games were bought over a year after release in a Steam or PS sale. It's a much better way of approaching it, economically.
I'm currently waiting on price drops for Far Cry 5 and Total War: Warhammer 2.