Nintendo Switch question

[JinglePies]

AIBU to ask here for a friend?!

I am driving myself mad with this question. I have two children age 8 and 10. I have one nintendo switch for Christmas. This was meant to be for the 10 year old. HOWEVER, I'm now wondering if I should get one for the 8 year old too? I know they will play together a lot, but when we are travelling (family in Australia so in normal times we fly a lot) etc they might really like one each. OR do I stick with one normal switch and get a switch lite for the other child? Tell me what to do, please!
Oh, and practical issue - I have one switch in my house, hidden away. It might be a nightmare to get a second one as all sold out, but Switch lite are in stock... PLEASE BOSS ME ABOUT AND TELL ME WHAT TO DO. Thank you!

I've a big age gap between my two kids but bought them a switch between them a couple of Christmases ago. It was an extra present and felt like it was too much to give just to the younger one on top of what he already had. My daughter (17) barely used it and so her brother (7) kept it when she went to uni. However, then lockdown happened, she moved back home and they were continually fighting over whose turn it was. Eventually we had to buy another one.

I think with such a small age gap between your two that you'd be nuts to only buy for one of them.

I don't know how the switch lite would work with games like Mario party. Our 8 year old loves that game and we play it as a family.. in fact we have bought our eldest a switch so we can play the game with 4 of us (also Mario kart is a great multi player game)

Obviously 2 players can play at the same time with the normal switch and I don't know if the switch lite can connect the same way, you may not want to do 4 player as well)

We have managed a year with one owning a switch and the other playing it occasionally.

@Coulddowithanap they are already getting a normal switch too.

I wouldn't get it unless the 8yo has actually asked for it. You can always get them one for their birthday but it's an expensive thing to buy if you're just guessing that they might want one. I assume they usually entertain themselves without a switch while flying, so there's no reason that should change.

Thank you all! They are very used to sharing. We have one iPad that is shared in the family and that is it. I’m quite anti screens, but as a child of the 90’s who LOVED playing with my game boy, I think the switch will be a lot of fun for the whole family.

My 8 year olds does get a lot of second hand things from the 10 year old. I think it would be a total wow if they got one each. I don’t normally spoil them that much at all!

Can I ask - if we have two normal switches, can we play as a 4 when it’s connected to the tv? Bit confused about that...

You can but only via one switch .
You can’t connect both to the tv at the same time .
You’d just need a controller each which you’d have if you got the two normal switch consoles .

We have one normal switch but bought extra controllers to play Mario party and Mario kart as a family.

I think you should get 2 switches. I have 2 switches and one extra pair of joycons. Extra joycons can be bought separately but you won’t necessarily need extras. If, as someone earlier said, you had Animal Crossing on each switch each child could develop their own island but would be able to create a secondary character to visit each other’s worlds and having 2 pairs of joycons makes it easy to link both to one switch, connect it to tv and play cooperatively in the joycon holders.

You could play with 4 people one joycon each but personally I’d prefer to make sure everyone had a pair - all gets very expensive but I feel the (massive amount of) money has been well spent.

Have a fun holiday!

Thank you all. We now have two switches. Anyone within a 10 mile radius of us on Christmas Day will probably hear the screams of excitement and surprise!

@JinglePies - congrats - I am sure you will have 2 very happy boys. All my nephews have them and they all adore them, we held out as long as we could with the 8 year old but only because the 14 year old takes his Nintendo so seriously and begged us to leave it to him (he bought his own when it came out with his confirmation money).

Just prepare yourself, the amount of time I spend listening to boys talking (endlessly talking) to me about games, and I nod along and say mhm, really, how interesting, at the appropriate point.

Happy Christmas to you all.

@annasgirl Thank you! I actually love Mario games etc so am hoping I can play with them lots over the holidays too ;-) So much better than bloody roblox!

I bought one last year for my (then) 9&6 yr old...guess what i am buying this year for my now 7y old...yep his own one.

2 more friggin weeks still the arguments over who's turn it is cease...canne wait!

@JinglePies

Thank you all! They are very used to sharing. We have one iPad that is shared in the family and that is it. I’m quite anti screens, but as a child of the 90’s who LOVED playing with my game boy, I think the switch will be a lot of fun for the whole family.

My 8 year olds does get a lot of second hand things from the 10 year old. I think it would be a total wow if they got one each. I don’t normally spoil them that much at all!

Can I ask - if we have two normal switches, can we play as a 4 when it’s connected to the tv? Bit confused about that...

Yes, put one in the dock to connect to TV and detach all 4 joycons from both switch and each can be used as a small miniature remote for 4 players.