Hello. I'm not a gamer much myself due to no time available (used to be into it as a teen) but DS very much wants to maximise the time and quality of his gaming and within reason (so long as homework and basic participation in other important aspects of life aren't abandoned) that's OK. However I am mostly clueless so would like to ask some advice from more knowledgeable mumsnetters.
DS is age 12, he has ASD and his emotional/maturity development is more similar to a typical 8 or 9 year old so his tastes in games are more "childlike" than typical for his age.
His current gaming equipment is an ancient wii which was given to him second-hand about 5 years ago from a relative who was upgrading to something more modern (which he uses for mainly Lego based gamed like lego star wars, lego batman etc), plus a PC which has the ability to run some X-box style games (he uses it for mostly Minecraft and Subnautica).
He wants to save up for a playstation. He gets £7 per week pocket money and he has been trying to spend as little as possible to save up towards a playstation and has so far managed to save £50. I have no intention of buying him a new games console but I am willing to give him a modest subsidy in proportion to what he saves (I wouldn't put in more than 25% of the cost)
I am aware that a new PS5 would be several hundred pounds and will take him a very long time to save for. I know that PS4s are still available and he could reasonably manage to save three quarters of the cost of a new PS4 by Christmas if he puts his mind to it. But are PS4s about to become as obsolete as his old wii? He is frustrated with his wii because new games like the lego Skywalker Saga are no longer released compatible to it as it is too old.
Someone on our local facebook group has advertised a 2016 PS4 for £100 and I am not sure whether to encourage him to buy it (I would give him £25 and lend him £25 to make it possible) or whether to let him keep on saving and expect him to manage with his current equipment for as long as it takes?