Can I ask a couple of questions about the Nintendo switch OLED please

[CoreyTaylorsSoggyTshirt]

Just ordered one for dd, but I know precisely nothing about them.

Do you have to buy physical games for them, or can you get them online?

I know you need to pay a yearly subscription for it, but what's the subscription actually for?

What sort of safety features for chatting online are there? Or can you even chat online?

Dd is 13, however she has a disability that leaves her quite vulnerable, and also pretty lonely, so it would be great for her to game online, but without actually chatting, or certainly monitored by me, if that makes sense.

I have all phones and computers locked down and monitored but I have never had any sort of gaming device so don't even know where to start.

Anything else I need to know?

TIA 💐

You can buy physical games, or through the online portal. You can prevent overspending by buying gift cards and loading them into the account to spend if you’d rather not add your payment details.

Online sub is only needed if planning to play online, or use the online features of certain games (travelling to islands on ACNH for example needs online, but travelling to islands of friends who are sat near you via local connect doesn’t). If you pay for the more expensive level of online membership, that gives you access to a large back catalogue of Nintendo games from the NES and SNES era. It also gives you expansion stuff for ACNH and Mariokart.

I can’t answer about the chatting, as I suspect that varies game by game.

I hope somebody else has that information for you.

Do you have to buy physical games for them, or can you get them online?

You can do both as there is a shop you can go from the menu but you can also buy the physical cartridges in the shops!

I know you need to pay a yearly subscription for it, but what's the subscription actually for?

You don't have to buy Switch Online but if you're keen for her to chat/play online, you'll need it. You can also, depending on the level of your sub, get special downloads and access to certain emulators (old console games!)

What sort of safety features for chatting online are there? Or can you even chat online?

You can set up parental controls to put age restrictions and the like on. Voice chat isn't enabled for the standard Switch (not sure about the OLED) so a lot is done via chat but I don't mind that so much. If she's really keen, they can always talk through Discord on another device?

As to what else - you MUST buy Tears of the Kingdom (or at least, Breath of the Wild) and Zelda is the very best game on the console... sooo good! But it's an excellent choice as it really is about gaming and the games are fun and colourful and not too 'kill kill, die die!'

She'll love it!

*as Zelda is the best..

Although Stardew Valley is a pretty close second - oh, and Animal Crossing - and Mario Odyssey is pretty good - and Just Dance is so much fun with friends - as is Switch Sports... 😆

In my experience, the only game that has a proper chat of being able to speak to other people is Fortnite. Other games have message chat. My kids are a bit younger and 10YO DS is autistic. They've never had an issue with speaking to random strangers online with it.

Thank you so much, that's so helpful. I really do have zero clue at all. Last console I had was a wii back when they were new and fancy.

I ordered Zelda with it, but I did have a look at animal crossing and stardew valley as well, I just wasn't sure if I could get them online (it's not being delivered for a couple of days yet) I would prefer online than physical cartridges or disks or whatever they are these days.

I haven't a clue about gaming, but dds world is just so small at the moment so I'm hoping this will open it up a bit until her health gets back on track again.

I'll definutely have a look at Tears of the Kingdom, even the name sounds right up dds Street. The whole back catalogue of SNES sounds amazing so looks like I'll be getting an online subscription for that.