How do I choose the best games console for kids?
When buying a games console for kids, there are a number of things you should consider.
Cost: The cost of consoles vary widely, so you should consider how much your child is likely to play on it and set a budget. Just remember that the price of games can add up too.
Purpose: Are you looking for a portable console that you can take on car journeys? Or a console for family games in the living room? Or are you buying a console just so your children can lose themselves in Minecraft?
Platform: If you’re buying for your child and they want to play with friends, it’s worth checking which games and platforms they play on as some don’t support cross-platform gaming.
Game choice: Check out what games you can buy for your console. Is there something in particular you are looking for? It’s worth checking out the selection before committing to a purchase, especially if you’re buying for a younger child.
Parental controls: Perhaps the most important thing to consider when buying a games console for kids. Can you set screen time? Filter inappropriate content? And always make sure there’s no way your little darling can leave an unwelcome surprise on your credit card bill.
How to pick age-appropriate games for your child
The first place to start when working out whether a game is appropriate for your child is to check the game’s age rating (PEGI). The game’s packaging will state either 3, 7, 12, 16 or 18 which means that the game shouldn’t be played by a person under that age.
You can also check what the content of the game is as there are also icons indicating whether it contains violence, drugs, bad language, discrimination, fear, gambling, sex, or in-app purchases.
It may also be helpful to play the game first to see if there’s anything you think may upset your child. YouTube is a great place for finding videos of people playing the game to see what the content is like.
Read next: Amazon Fire 7 Kids vs Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids: Which is the best kids' tablet?
How to make sure your child stays safe while gaming
One of the great things about the best games consoles is the ability for children to be able to play with their friends online. Unfortunately, this means that they can be exposed to other players and can lead to online bullying and inappropriate behaviour. So how can you help reduce the chance of them seeing things they shouldn’t? Here are some tips:
Talk to them about the dangers of online gaming, stranger danger and advise them to only connect with friends online. If they want to add a new friend, try to check who they are.
Choose a safe username, making sure it doesn’t include their real name or any details about themselves. Talk to them about not sharing personal details, such as where they live.
Show them how to report and mute anyone abusive or threatening.
Get to know the parental controls and privacy settings on the device they are using as this can affect who they interact with online.
If you’re worried, get them to take off their headphones so you can hear who they are engaging with.
What gaming console is the best?
The Nintendo Switch OLED is the most popular games console for kids and the best handheld gaming console out there right now. Our Mumsnet users rate it highly for family fun, with access to a huge variety of family-friendly games that can be played on both the TV and when out and about, making it a great value for money.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real parents
Whatever category we research, we always start by asking our Mumsnet users which products they rate the most. There’s over 7 million users on our forums each month so we know this is the best place to find out which products withstand family life, and which ones will cater for different needs and budgets.
Our writer used her own experiences of looking for a games console for children. Last year, she spent time researching the best one for families and ended up purchasing a Nintendo Switch (OLED model) when they were in high demand, so she understands the challenges of finding a games console that is both fun, safe and child-friendly.
Expert advice
Our trusted and experienced parenting journalists research each category thoroughly. This means checking with the experts to make sure that each product has been tried and tested and stands up to scrutiny.
We use a variety of sources, including independent review sites, such as Which?, to help ensure we are bringing you the best products on the market right now.
Consumer feedback
How often do you look to online reviews to check how good a product is? Well, we do the same! Checking what consumers think of the product helps us work out which ones stand the test of family life. We check the likes John Lewis, Amazon and Argos to make sure the products are worth your hard-earned cash.
We don’t just look for positive feedback - the negative reviews are really important too as they help us identify which products perform well across the board.
Celebrated best products
Finally, we look out for any products that have received industry awards to help us recommend a variety of games consoles for kids. From family-friendly consoles to devices for serious gamers, there’s a top pick here for everyone.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a Mum and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.
Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard. When she’s not manically tapping the keys of her laptop, Lucy loves nothing more than to cosy up with her Kindle and enjoy the latest thriller, or compete in Nintendo Switch rallies with her daughters aged six and 10.