FFS - I need a degree in sodding gaming - please help!

[theduchessstill]

I have/had pretty much decided that the dc are getting a console to share this year. They really haven't got much tech - 2 aging Wiis at mine and their dad's and a kindle each. I know they will be massively excited to get a brand new console.

I have no interest in this stuff and it all seems so complicated, but from what I can see they want different things. I know ds2 loves the Mario games that are on the Wii and would love a Nintendo Switch. While I think ds1 would play with it, I think what he really wants is an Xbox. He's such a good kid and he thinks I'm dead against them so he isn't asking for one as such, but I have been trying to subtly probe him on the matter and it's definitely X boxes that are mentioned more that anything, with the game Clash of Clans apparently what everyone at school is playing.

I can't really afford 2 £300 + types things, or anyway, I jsut think it's far too much to be spending, but it seems you can get an Xbox 360 for a lot less than that - but are they horribly dated and wouldn't suit him? Are there any solutions anyone could kindly suggest?

If I did get two different consoles would it be a nightmare plugging them in all the time? We have one tv at the moment and I plan t get another as a family gift/gift to myself, but I'm not getting two! Just seems this is another example of my boys being so different from each other. If I do this they will get very little else (no one apart from me buys anything major for them) so I don't want it to be not quite right, with ds1 smiling politely while being a bit disappointed and feeling bad because he knows a console is a massive gift.

Any help would be great!

[ParadiseCity]

When DS wanted a console I asked his friends parents what they had, and got the same so that they could play together online. This makes it one billion times more fun.

Sorry to say my advice would be don't scrimp. Work out what you want to buy and then look for deals , Tesco double Clubcard points or things like that. But do buy the thing they want not the similar but not as good thing.

If they are not both the same age I'd consider getting eldest one and then explaining the youngest will get one when they are also x age.

[RandomMess]

How old are your DC?

[theduchessstill]

Sorry - dc are 10 & 8.

[CiderwithBuda]

How old are they? Your younger one may well grow out of the Mario stuff quite soon.

I only have one dc so haven't had to try to please more than one but the only thing I would say is to buy th most recent of whatever console you go for. They get outdated when a new one comes along. And the manufacturers stop supporting them with new games. We hung on to PlayStation 2 as long as we could and only moved on to PlayStation 3 when they stopped making PS2 games. I'm not too sure about the Xbox scenario- DS had an Xbox One but didn't really like it so we traded it in against a new PlayStation 4.

Actually - try the Game shops for second hand ones. They check them out properly and you get a guarantee as far as I know.

[Cantthinkofanoriginalname1]

How old are your sons?

[Cantthinkofanoriginalname1]

Sorry xpost!

[CalmanOnSpeeddial]

The next generation Xbox comes out in November. I really don't think the OP needs to shell out for that because it will be a huge amount of money, but it should mean that the XBox One (the previous version) will come down in price and more second hand ones will be available. It might be worth waiting until then to make your choice. I agree that you should find out what their friends have.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

I'd advise you to get an XBox One. Look out for deals in the run up to Christmas. You can often get Bundle deals with a couple of games thrown in. Would his dad contribute? My sons had their XBox as a joint present with grandparents chipping in.

I also save money by buying pre owned games, online or in Game.

As they get older, they might want to play with and speak to their friends online on a headset so ask around to find out what their peers have.

[SisyphusDad]

Second the suggestion of asking your DC's friends' parents what they've got. Playing with their (RL) friends is a big part of the attraction. For mine, the PS4 seems to be the platform of the moment.

[Invisimamma]

Get the most up to date console you can afford. No point Getting and older one as they stop making the games for it etc. My son is noticing this now with his ps3.

I also think the Nintendo switch is quite limited in what it offers in terms of games and you'll get far more years out of an Xbox, in my opinion.

[BobbyGentry]

The Nintendo Switch has Mario Carts.

It's portable & can connect to the TV.

There's a party game called, '1-2 Switch' which would be fun for Christmas.

The Legends of Zelda game is a masterpiece.

Splatoon appears fun too!

[AfunaMbatata]

I'd get an Xbox one and a Nintendo 3ds

[BobbyGentry]

The PS4 is better for older kids in my opinion. It requires monthly subscription though but this gives access to 'free' monthly games. Games are expensive (in the region of 70 quid.) it's useful to watch TV (BBC iPlayer, C4 & Netflix) & you can access the Internet.

[BobbyGentry]

The NES classic is a fun novelty console which soon lost it's shine.

[DigitalGhost]

Wait for Black Friday and get them an Xbox One to share or a Xbox One and PS4 so they have the option of either console and all games.

The new Xbox is out soon but it will play the same games as the Xbox One and is only a graphical upgrade really and will be alot more expensive so unnecessary for children so young.

As for plugging them in constantly, they can be constantly connected to a TV and with the Xbox One you can actually watch your TV through it.
If it is the choice of one or the other I would say get the Xbox One as it's more suited for younger gamers IMO.

[BobbyGentry]

The Nintendo 3ds is good for Pokémon fans 😊

[Cantthinkofanoriginalname1]

Is there any chance that you could get another console for their next Christmas as well. So a Switch this year then Xbox/Playstation next?
Obviously you know your children , do they really enjoy gaming or is it just something to do? In my experience, by the time they get to secondary school gaming becomes a much more important part of social interaction and if they're quite interested now it will as important as breathing to them in a couple of years!! At that level the Switch just doesn't cut it! It has quite a few problems anyway and if you've got a Wii they can continue playing Mario games. But Xbox and Playstation are the consoles most teenagers want. You'll find some people are quite passionate about which ones best so you'll never get an unbiased answer. Its best to find out what one the majority of your sons friends have as they can chat and compete with each other if they have the same brand. Definitely try and get the Xbox One rather than Xbox 360 as gaming technology dates quite quickly. The new Xbox is released soon so with that and Christmas deals the Xbox One should drop in price.

[BlueberryMarshmallow]

I’d agree with previous comments and go for the Xbox one/ PS4 if you can afford it as it will last so much longer as all the new games won’t be released on the 360. Games like mine craft might appeal to both of them.

As for the switch if mario is all he likes then there’s the 3DS which has loads of games? The switch can be played as a handheld too though so would solve your tv issues and it would be fairly easy to swap between the consoles.

[MimsyBorogroves]

I would also go for either a PS4/Xbox plus a 2DS.

[I8toys]

X box one. My ds11 and ds14 both play it. Do you have a PC? They both play games on the PC like sims 4 and also use Steam where you can get loads of games for the PC.

[Apileofballyhoo]

Xbox One is what DS (9) got last Christmas. You'll need to set it up before Christmas Day as it needs to update. Try and get a bundle that comes with an extra controller as they are expensive to buy separately. You will need rechargeable batteries or you can get a battery pack thing in Argos that the controllers sit on to recharge.

X-box live is an additional expense, and not all games work without it. My DS shares one a/c with his friend so expense is halved and they have access to each other's games (DS's friend's DF set this up, no idea how).

The fun of the X-box seems to be playing online and chatting with friends. Can watch Netflix etc too.

DS also has a Wii U that he got 2 years ago. He hasn't grown out of the Mario games and is hankering after a Nintendo Switch now. The X-box is much more social though and seems to be the more popular thing with friends. I'd go for the console most friends have. They may have fun with the Nintendo but they'll probably still want an X-box or PS to play with friends at some stage. You might have a look at the prices and availability of games too. I'm not sure what's available for the Nintendo Switch.

[CiderwithBuda]

Yes definitely check which their friends have. And if there is a newer Xbox console coming out there should be good deals on the Xbox One. I wouldn't go for the 360.

Go into your local Game store and see if they have any pre-owned ones.

[Floralnomad]

My now adult ds has an Xbox 360 and an Xbox one in his room , when he was pre teen / early teen he preferred PlayStation . Neither of mine really got into the Wii but when they were younger the various Nintendo ds machines got lots of use by both the pair of them and myself . We have a PlayStation 4 in our family room ( which ds bought me for my birthday this year for some inexplicable reason) which has been switched on about 4 times . I think it's definitely worth trying to buy the best you can afford so not a 360 as it will be obsolete sooner rather than later from a new game perspective .

[IWishYouWere]

I would get a 2ds and a Xbox one for them to share. You can buy both of them from amazon warehouse deals at the minute for under £300. I bought a Xbox one from there last year and there was nothing wrong with it it's just items people have returned.

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Xbox-One-500GB-Console-Kinect/dp/B00BE4OUBG/ref=sr_1_7?m=A2OAJ7377F756P&s=warehouse-deals&ie=UTF8&qid=1506272690&sr=8-7&keywords=xbox%20one%20console&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/Xbox-One-500GB-Console-Kinect/dp/B00BE4OUBG/ref=sr_1_7?m=A2OAJ7377F756P&s=warehouse-deals&ie=UTF8&qid=1506272690&sr=8-7&keywords=xbox%20one%20console&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/2DS-HW-NERO-BLU-NEWSUPERMARIOBROS2/dp/B00NY59ICO/ref=sr_1_13?m=A2OAJ7377F756P&s=warehouse-deals&ie=UTF8&qid=1506272784&sr=8-13&keywords=2ds&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/2DS-HW-NERO-BLU-NEWSUPERMARIOBROS2/dp/B00NY59ICO/ref=sr_1_13?m=A2OAJ7377F756P&s=warehouse-deals&ie=UTF8&qid=1506272784&sr=8-13&keywords=2ds&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[inneedofchocolate]

Join your local Facebook buy and swap group. There are usually loads of used consoles with games for a decent price.