Do I get my 5 (nearly 6) year old a Ps5?

[TheCosyOpalSeal]

My son has a second hand Nintendo switch from my Mother already. And the original plan was to buy him some new games for that. We've already completed 2 pokemon games together, so it gets used.
(He doesn't have any kind of tablet, he just has the switch which we play on Friday nights and weekends)

He's played astrot bot in a friend's house which is only available on Ps5. And has asked if he could have is for Christmas. I've done some research and it's onlt available on the new system, I can't even buy an old PS4 to play it on!

My first instinct was no, he's too young and it's too expensive for just 1 game. My husband and I do enjoy gaming but he prefers xbox and pc games and I enjoy Nintendo.

However I've seen some decent deals on a bundle which includes the game, and I know it's what he REALLY wants. He's quite a sensible 5 year old and doesn't get caught up in the Christmas spirit too much, so I don't think we'll have many more years of 'believing'. So the mum guilt has me feeling we should get it for him from Father Christmas (even though we've told him that he can't have it because it's for older children) just to see the surprise on his face.

We are tight for money at the moment but could just stretch to it. I'm feeling like I shouldn't get it but wanted to see what others would do. He's 6 at the end of January too.

Hold off. The child will be looking at a screen his whole life, I’d try and delay it.

I do get wanting to make the magic happen but that’s a pretty big gift for a 5 year old. It will make expectations on future years hard to manage. Given he doesn’t think he’s getting it I’d make his day magical with other things.

Absolutely not.

How much screen time does he have that you've completed 2 games? That seems a lot!

I'd stick with the Nintendo. The games are much more age appropriate.
My daughter wanted a playstation at about 13 or 14 and we struggled even at that age to find many age appropriate games.

No, no, no. Please don't - hold off for as long as possible.

Much better to stay with the switch. Much better for younger ones game- wise.

Nope too young and not good enough for his development

Personally I wouldn't. Can he cope with a ps5 controller and all the menu/ details and so on.
It's very different to a switch.
Not so easy to use.
Switch is fab for younger kids and lots of new games out which I bet he will love once playing them
He probably just want that game as his friends got it.
Plus that's the top console. Think about Christmas in a few years when he will really appreciate it and be able to understand how it works better.
As a parent to teenagers who game , once you buy the top consoles you are a bit stumped for big Christmas presents

I telt enjoy what computers and gaming add to life, but I think they cause many problems with young children and their development.

Wait until he is in high school would be my opinion. I have four DC and two are teenagers. One only uses a PC, the other uses an X Box. But ultimately they know when to come off their gadgets. Not so easy to regulate with younger children.

Get Super Mario Galaxy, it's pretty similar and is on the switch

If your husband is a gamer then I would. You get so much more choice when you have both machines. It's more than just a gaming console so could be used for other stuff.

The downside is these machines can't be tucked away in a telly cabinet out of the way, they need a lot of space so they don't get hot.

Nope, too young.

I'm always baffled at the love of the switch for young kids. They wouldn't be my first choice.

Perhaps that's because you're not a young kid? 😬

I wouldn’t for the sake of one game he’s seen once?

once he sees more games on the switch he’ll love those.

I was hoping for some alternatives, thanks!!!

Thanks everyone so far. I was worried about where you can go from there as he gets older for nice gifts.
We do limit screen time otherwise because it can be so addictive. But I do like that at least with games he has to try reading and thinking for himself to solve puzzles etc etc. And we usually do it together so it's some connection time too.

I wouldn't either. To spend that much money just to play one game is ludicrous imo. There is also the possibility that he will soon tire of that game, or that it currently has a novelty value in that he likes playing it at his friend's house because he doesn't have it. In the past, I have purchased games asked for by my children that have rarely been played. That's fine, but not fine if you've spent hundreds on a games console for that one purpose!

Actually I've just looked and it seems that Galaxy is quite hard to get at the moment so Odyssey would be a good swap too.

I'm sure DS will be carried along by the magic and not notice that there isn't a PS5 for him!

This.

Plus, leave something for him to look forward to later in life. Gratifying every whim isn't healthy.

Mario Kart 8

Don't get it. As a TA I find it so depressing at the amount of children (in a first school) who now don't read and just play video games every evening. It's a slippery slope!

I wouldn’t encourage gaming at that age and not a PS5 with the expense.

I wouldn’t. But many do. And gaming has caused harm to many many kids. It’s on you to police it constantly to try protect them from that harm but the best way to do so is to not buy it at all.