DS10 wants a PS4 and I'm clueless - any tips?

[Growingboys]

I know nothing about gaming and nor does DH but our son has asked for a PS4 for his bday. Or maybe a wii. Or something else, the name of which I've forgotten. DS wants to game like all his mates and feels a bit left out that they all have consoles and he doesn't. But he's too shy to ask which to get as they tease him for not being a gamer.

ANYWAY... I googled a bit and it seems PS4 is a better bet.

Can anyone advise please, and also on where best to buy it, what I need to buy (how many handsets or whatever they're called) and anything else I might need to get.

Sorry for cluelessness but hope this thread is the right place to ask!

Thank you

Just remembered, Xbox was the other one he mentioned.

So does he want to game with his friends, or just like his friends? If they're all Xboxers then him getting a PS4 will be no good as they won't be able to play against each other. I should say having access to the online gaming platform (which is PS4's case is called Playstation Online) costs extra, there's a monthly subscription. So hopefully he just wants to be able to join in the gaming talk in the playground/have his mates over to do gaming together in person, and then it won't matter if he's got a different console from everyone else.

I bought our PS4 from Amazon, we have the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 1 TB. The larger disk is worth it in my view as they fill up with games surprisingly quickly.

We have two controllers and you can also buy a camera and move controllers (you hold these in your hands and move around, i.e. in Just Dance when you're copying dance moves on screen). Some games need the move controllers as well, so worth researching what he wants to play so you have the right equipment from the start.

I looked on Pricerunner just now to see where you might get a good deal - the 500GB seems easier to come across than the 1TB.

If he gets the same console as his friends he will be able to talk and play games with them. They probably either have the PlayStation or Xbox. We got a ps4 from Argos in a deal that came with Minecraft included. We then bought an extra controller as it only comes with one included (John Lewis was the cheapest for this at the time). And a headset with a microphone from Argos for about £30, just one that was compatible with the ps4. They now have downloaded Fortnite which they play online with friends. We also bought PlayStation plus, which is an annual subscription, which means they can play with others and get games they can download every month.

Yes, I have advice. Get an Xbox

Thanks all. The issue of playing vs his friends had not occurred to me. Really helpful advice, plus the extra stuff eg camera/headset I didn't know about.

Thank you. I will look into getting a PS4 I think and look at Pricerunner - thanks for the link tribpot

Will also get him to double check that most of his friends have PS4s - I think they do. As for playing against his friends I don't know, but maybe it's just chat in the playground. Again, I'll get him to man up a bit and find out what everyone else does.

Thank you! xxx

It’s a good idea to have a think about what rules you are going to have for his gaming now rather than later, ie how long and when he can play, what parental controls you are going to use, what age games he can play etc etc. At 10 he will be so happy to get a console he will agree to anything.

I’d suggest looking up the parental controls for whatever device you end up getting and using them.

Thank you Crispy - very good point!