Xbox/playstation/Nintendo switch - help!!

[ChrisjenAvasarala]

I don't know a thing about gaming. Never cared about it as a child and still have no idea.

My kids are 5 and 7, and are asking for a gaming thing. I don't know the best one to buy.

Can anyone tell me what console is best? Or does it not matter. I think they will need a Nintendo of some sort to play Pokemon as well as a console like PlayStation or X box for all the other games.

My 7 year old gets through around 2 books a week (things like Time Hunters so around 100 pages each) and the 2 of them are obsessed with imaginext and creating little worlds and missions for their figures to go on, they both love to build Lego and create little scenarios using the people etc. We have family games night once a week with their grandparents, and very very rarely have the TV switched on as there just isn't time. I really don't think that introducing games and allowing a small space of time a week will affect their cognition or imagination.

@DoneLikeAKipper

I can hardly be wrong about my own experience, haha! I wasn't saying that was what everyone experienced at that time, just that was what my current appreciation of the norm was. I am glad to be educated. Nor, anywhere in my post, did I say that them having them was a bad thing, I just meant that I couldn't imagine a 5 or 7 year old having the patience to sit down in front of a screen to play a game (please note, I do not have a five or seven year old and my last frame of reference for children of those ages were my brothers). But thank you for your mean spirited reply to what was a genuine question!

Sewing, I would have said the same when mine were 20 months. Don't worry about it. But it's amazing what 5 and 7 year olds have the patience and understanding to do! That's part of the fun of watching them grow up though so don't want to spoil that for You!

I'd absolutely hate it if they chose to spend their entire Saturday playing a computer game so I get what you're saying. But they love their toys and imagination and they love going outside with waterballoons filled with paint and "painting" the garage door and all the rest of it. So I'm confident it won't become a problem. If it does, strict time limits will be introduced.

I don't think consoles are a problem, I can see their appeal! I just hadn't realised they get into them so young, I really didn't mean to offend anyone.

@sewinginmyfreetime

Nor, anywhere in my post, did I say that them having them was a bad thing, I just meant that I couldn't imagine a 5 or 7 year old having the patience to sit down in front of a screen to play a game

Oh come on now, that’s not exactly what you said is it?

but that seems insanely young to be just parking them in front of a screen instead of them playing outside or just imaginative play.

Don’t make out I’m being ‘mean spirited’, the op asked about which console to consider for young children and your reply was to suggest that they would be ‘parked in front of a screen’ rather than doing appropriate child activities. I found it rather rude that you were making assumptions both as to the OP’s ability to parent kids on a console, and the passive negativity in general masked as ‘wide eyed surprise at what kids do these days’.

But they go to their friends houses for play dates end every single time they come home talking about the games consoles

In that case I would suggest asking them what their friends have and more importantly what games are they playing there.

Don't know if this is an issue for you but switch games are ridiculously expensive for what they are IMO. Many of the games on the switch you can get on playstation/x box and even iPad for £10-£20 less then they are on the switch. Other than that though switch is very good and kids that age might like the more interactive games (like the ones you make controllers out of cardboard) personally I would get them a Wii and see if they like it/how much they use it before spending £300 on a switch

Not only are they ridiculously expensive, they're bloody tiny cartridges. Properly winds me up giving a kid a 50 quid game that they can very easily lose unless you're constantly on the ball.

There is a mixture of Nintendo and x box. They havnt mentioned the PlayStation yet. They've had shots at playing Minecraft but mainly racing games or Lego games.

I'm too bothered about the cost; they won't be needing or getting mountains of games but I will maybe just have a look at what sorts of games are available on each thing.
Hasn't the Wii been discontinued?

It has but you can still buy them second hand along with pre owned games for pennies. I still play on original Xbox and that's a fair age.