Can someone explain games consoles please?

[Alanamackree]

I need an idiots guide

I think it’s probably time to embrace the 21st century and all that but I have no idea what the differences are between a play station, an x box etc
Anyone in real life that I’ve asked seems to have extraordinarily strong brand loyalty and recommends whatever they played as teens with passion and conviction. But I’ve heard this from both sides.

I have two ds whose major interests are Minecraft and lego, and a dniece who likes fashion design and dance.

At the moment they take turns on the iPad. I’m not even sure that a console is the way to go, maybe I should get them all tablets? Just most of ds1’s friends have consoles now so I don’t want him left out.

Are there differences between the level of parental control on different devices?
What do you have and what do you like/dislike about it?
Are there more children’s games available on a particular system?

Oh and what exactly is a Nintendo switch?

I have a Minecraft and God help me Fortnite obsessed 10yo DS and he is able to play both on the Xbox and Switch. The Switch does have the advantage that it is portable and can be played without monopolising the telly. We were also able to take it along with us when we went away on a month long trip over the summer holidays. If you have younger children, Nintendo games tend to be more suitable for them.

You need either a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox one. Ask your kids (not your niece unless she lives with you) what their friends play. Buy the one that most of their friends play. You need an extra controller.

Your niece seems to have completely different console needs to your sons. She needs a 3ds or something similar.

PlayStation plus is around £45 a year and this enables online gaming and 2 or 3 free games to download every month, which you get to keep as long as you have a plus account.

You can buy hard copies of PlayStation 4 and Xbox one games cheaply in places like cex but the switch games are sparse and do not seem to come down in price at all. An old PS4 game will be 10/15 quid but switch games are still 40.

We have both the PS4 and a switch and in a two boy asd house hold, the PS4 has won out. The switch only gets used in the car sadly

And YY to hang on for Black Friday deals. I've purchased both consoles in decent bundle deals and Xbox Live subscriptions are offered for deep discount around that time of year.

Thanks for this thread, signing in as I am clueless. We got rid of our Wii (10.5 years old so it had a damn good run!) when we moved house in July and told the DCs we will get a new console for our main family Christmas present. Most likely Xbox or PS but no idea which one.

Good tip! Thanks!

^ that was for ifiwasabutterfly. Didn’t notice all the other posts! Thanks for the offer on dimensions but I’m secretly hoping my db might just gift us his set (which he bought for my dc to play in his house as he’s more a blood and gore gamer himself 😂)

I think I’m swaying towards a PlayStation. I think. I’m such a ditherer!

If you only want one console and they are 8+ I would say def PS4 if we are talking about a 5/6yr old then I would say a switch

PlayStation has much better games available than Xbox and is most popular option.

DH also works for them so you could say I'm a little biased!

Almost all of my son's friends have an Xbox one. They chat about what games they are playing and then chat online.