Is a ps3 too out of date?

[duchesswigtower]

My Ds is 7 & has asd. I’ve kept technology very limited as he’s been so difficult to deal with after screen time. Only tv is watching a dvd as there is a definite end and he has offline apps on his tablet that he can play anytime but only gets to use Minecraft on my tablet at the weekend as he gets so obsessed about it.
He is begging for some kind of console though. And I’m thinking I need to give him more technology time in order to teach him how to deal with it rather than totally avoiding it. I’d say he’s missing out socially with all the chat about gaming at school too. It would probably help with play dates too.
Anyway, I don’t want to spend a fortune for something that is potentially going to be a load of hard work & heartache for me!
Is giving him a secondhand ps3 at this age ok? Will he still be able to join in the gaming talk or is the biggest part of it actually playing online with your friends? I was only going to get him Minecraft & a lego marvel game.
Or would I be better just paying out for a ps4?

My 9yo has a hand me down ps3. We get games from cex and he really likes it, he's not expressed any huge desire for a newer model. He has asd also.

PS3 is ancient.

He needs a Switch/Xbox One/PS4 to play online with friends and join in the gaming chat.

It's fine, they still make games for the Ps3.

You don't have to let him online, my 11 yr old who has ASD isn't allowed online still and it might be a while before he is. I have to carefully monitor him and how he reacts to games. But it's been a godsend on helping him sit down and focus. Plus it's fab if you sit and play co-op with them. Mine tells me all his fears in an absent minded way.

The PS3 was released in 2006 so it is really old. I would have thought most kids were on the PS4/XBox One now.

Sorry I wasn’t clear by gaming chat I actually meant in real life like at school.
That is hopeful that your older kids are happy with it. And I think I do want to protect him from online chat a little longer til I learn a bit more. Co-op games sound exactly what I’d be happy with while he’s still at an age where he still wants to play with me!
Would newer models of ps3 make much difference? Like is the gb amount important? (I’m extremely clueless obviously!!!)

But that is my fear that other kids are going to come round and say it’s ancient & take the joy out of it for him.

What about getting him a used PS4? That way your not forking our loads on a brand new one but it's a bit more up to date at least than the PS3.

I would go for a switch if you can afford it, they are likely to stop releasing PS3 games soonish as it's such an old console now, and then you'll be stuck with him not able to play the same games as friends. Sony promised to support the console for 10 years when it was released in 2006 so that has now gone, they could withdraw games at any time. The switch is very new and the games are more aimed at children so easier to monitor, although I've been playing Mario odyssey and Mario kart a lot recently and loving them. Plus the motion controllers are fun to use or you can slot them into the screen to use as a DS type console or into a controller to use for more standard gaming. PS4/xboxOne is better for shooter games which sounds like the sort of thing you want to avoid.

A PS4 will last until he's at least secondary school age when I suspect PS5 will be in people's homes.

You can play Minecraft and Lego Marvel without going online and they are great game choices.

People always suggest a switch on these threads. They are no way comparable to a standalone console, expensive to buy and the games are never cheap like you can get on a PS/Xbox. You're paying 50 quid for a tiny cartridge that can easily get lost compared to a disc. they are harder to manage screen time wise because they're portable and can be snuck up to bed, compared to a console that stays in one place.

They aren't the more child friendly option people seem to think they are.

The ps3 is being retired next year or year after I believe. I’d get a second hand PS4 if I’m honest. It’s more up to date, the storage is better and new games that come out are only for PS4 - it used to be for both but it’s not now.

Second hand PS4 would be better - you don’t need a pro just the big standard one.

A PS3 is a great idea for a younger gamer there's already a huge library of games and you can get them quite cheap which means he would be able to buy his own with his pocket money. Kids that age don't tend to care about how old the console is just that they can play it.
It's not worth spending all that money on a ps4 for such a young child, like I said the ps3 has a huge library and a lot of them will be more suitable for his age not to mention they won't cost you £50 a game.

And there are games like crash bandicoot, spyro reignited, minecraft... there are many many games that are not shooter ones on PS4. Switch games are expensive and Nintendo never lower their prices and they are slow to release new games.

Also if you go for the PS3 (I understand not everyone can easily afford a ps4 we're in the same boat!) you need to go for the biggest amount of storage on the hard drive you can afford as you need to be able to install the games.

We're a family of gamers and our most up to date console is either the 3ds or xbox360 we also have loads of other old consoles and they get played to death because we can afford the games when they're only £3 each we couldn't do that with a ps4.

Thank you all! Your replies are really helpful. Wavering now between ps3 and a secondhand PS4.
Are the other uses of PS4 up to much like Netflix/ Spotify etc or can the ps3 do all that too?

Spotify and Netflix were available when we were using ps3. You can't listen to Spotify while playing games on a ps3 though.

Netflix and Spotify are apps that you download from the PlayStation Store.

I bought DS a ps3 for Christmas last year. He was 9 and has aspergers. I also bought him some games like Disney Infinity and DJ Hero as well as Minecraft. He loves it. He has since downloaded YouTube onto it, as he watches ASMR videos at night to help him sleep.
He has tried a Switch but said he thought it was silly expensive for what it was.

I'd go PS4. The PS3 will be unsupported as of next year; and that usually means they stop making games for it.

The PS4 is hugely superior and will turn out to be better value for money. There's a huge range of non violent games for the PS4; and a lot of "retro" games coming out for it in the next few months too.

My son has ASD - playstation chatting with his friends has really built his confidence as he can practise boy bonding banter without the need for eye contact. Its helped him establish more friendships.

Thank you for more pros & cons of both!
Found a very cheap ps3 locally although it’s only 320gb but it may do for now & I can consider and save for a PS4 for birthday or next Christmas without any pressure.