Which console for my 7 year old ... if any?

Grumpypants

I got my first handheld (Nintendo Game and watch donkey kong 2) at 4. Triggered a love for games that has given me decades of enjoyment and a brilliant career.

Generic Dreadhead

For a 7 year old, a Switch is by far and away the best option.
It's a great peace of kit and you only need to buy him 2 games for it.
If you get Mario Kart, you can play together with the 2 joy-cons included in the box and Zelda is a long game so will keep him occupied
Getting him a console that is more than a decade old is not a great idea, minecraft aside

TitianGerm

Generic Dreadhead wrote: »

For a 7 year old, a Switch is by far and away the best option.
It's a great peace of kit and you only need to buy him 2 games for it.
If you get Mario Kart, you can play together with the 2 joy-cons included in the box and Zelda is a long game so will keep him occupied
Getting him a console that is more than a decade old is not a great idea, minecraft aside

I was leaning towards the switch as well but if his friends have an Xbox or PS4 then I'd say go with that. Most kids that age want Minecraft and FIFA and maybe another odd game.

The fact there's some really good deals on the One S and PS4 means it'd be a bit cheaper as well for the first console.

Remouad

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Gfs siblings (7 & 10) basically go into meltdown when we take the Switch away

That's a perfect reason not to get one. Kids don't need something else to have a meltdown over.

Shiminay wrote: »

Get him whatever his cousins have so he can play with them and swap games and so on, it'll make life easier. You can also ask said cousins for the details if you're not completely familiar with the various options.

This is probably the best advice regarding which console to get.

NIMAN wrote: »

I notice everyone is saying, yeah buy him one.

No advocates for him being too young?

Personally I think 7 is too young and it should be delayed as long as it's not having a social impact.
Also if there are younger siblings in the house bear in mind that it's being introduced to them too.

However OP has stated that their son is already obsessed with the 2DS then, if there aren't any other children in the house, the point is probably moot.

CiDeRmAn

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Got my first computer, a Commodore 64, at 7. Still remember it as a great present... even if I was jealous of the girls next door who got an import SNES that year....

7 is the perfect age to get into it.

And now you spend your spare time either playing games or online talking about them.
You are not a good advertisment for the hobby!

CiDeRmAn

Paleblood wrote: »

As much as I love games, and despite my previous comment above about how healthy an activity is can be for young children, I'd still exercise caution where a child has a very keen interest in reading. A lot of children like reading, but some children love reading and if your child is in the latter camp then I'd let him continue with that as a priority until he's a bit older. That's just my two cents.

But you seem to have the right attitude about how to introduce a console so I don't imagine it would be too disruptive either way. I imagine the important thing is to be strict. If the child knows that the console is for an hour or two at the weekend, and there's no getting around that, then he'll get used to it. But if he knows it's there whenever he stags for long enough, or whenever mam and dad aren't looking, then it's possible that he'll get distracted.

I should qualify all of the above by saying that I've been both a videogame lover and a bookworm for the past 27 years, and one has never interfered with the other.

It's all about balance at the end of the day.
I'm also a book lover and a games player and, sadly, work and family have meant that no longer am I devoting significant time to either pasttime.
The days of having three books on the go at once or putting five hours a day into videogames is long past, now that I'm 45 and working from half eight to five o'clock, five days a week.
At least my son is benefiting from my collection now!

NIMAN

As I say my boy who is 8 in December has been asking. We are deciding whether to bend or not.

But he has 2 younger siblings of 6 and 4 as well, and as another has said, you are not only introducing the 8yr old to gaming, but the 4yr old too.

positivenote

THanks One and all for the varied response.
To clarify a couple of points:
He's 7 and has gotten into reading alot over the past 3 months or so.
He loves his DS2 and gets it as a treat every few days.
There is a younger sister in the equation who isnt really into the DS2 as much tbh
Alot of his friends are talking about their xbox's and minecraft (which he is obsessed with when he goes to his cousins).
If I go with the xbox 360 he would proberbly expode with the excitment on christmas morning.
Where is the cheapest place to pick one up with a couple of controllers and say mario kart/Zelda/Minecraft etc... ?
Again thanks a million for the advice.

Remouad

positivenote wrote: »

THanks One and all for the varied response.
To clarify a couple of points:
He's 7 and has gotten into reading alot over the past 3 months or so.
He loves his DS2 and gets it as a treat every few days.
There is a younger sister in the equation who isnt really into the DS2 as much tbh
Alot of his friends are talking about their xbox's and minecraft (which he is obsessed with when he goes to his cousins).
If I go with the xbox 360 he would proberbly expode with the excitment on christmas morning.
Where is the cheapest place to pick one up with a couple of controllers and say mario kart/Zelda/Minecraft etc... ?
Again thanks a million for the advice.

CEX is probably easiest. Get one with a decent sized harddrive. Games load and run much better when they are installed.

No Zelda or Mario on Xbox. Those are Nintendo only.

ambro25

NIMAN wrote: »

As I say my boy who is 8 in December has been asking. We are deciding whether to bend or not.

But he has 2 younger siblings of 6 and 4 as well, and as another has said, you are not only introducing the 8yr old to gaming, but the 4yr old too.

Your 7 year old is already introduced, he has and uses a 2DS. And in all likelihood all 3 of them will go through 'gaming' a one time or another, to an extent of another. That's an inevitability (if you wait to avoid some element of peer/social pressure problems down the line).

Notionally, you have three options:

(i) see gaming as a collective activity (incentivising multiplayer gameplay: Nintendo Wii, Wii U or Switch I think, with games like Mario Party or Mario Kart)

(ii) see gaming as your 8 year old's "me-time" away from his siblings (in which case, broader choice of console. What is your lad like with his 2DS, when his 2 siblings are "around"? How do your 6 and 4 year old behave about that 2DS? Do they want it/their own?)

(iii) wait until the youngest gets to 7-ish (but I'd expect peer/social pressure-borne problems with the 2 elders by then)

The first two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, either.

You could have a PS3/xbox 360/xbox One/PS4 <whatever> for the 8 year old, and a Wii (they really are cheap as chips 2nd hand nowadays) for all 3, with the choice of which to use for the limited/imparted playtime down to the 8 year old.

Or a single PS3/xbox 360/xbox One/PS4 <whatever> for the 8 year old, and games suitable for the 6 & 4 year old (many games have an age rating of 3), and a couple extra pads, with the choice of which game to play for the limited/imparted playtime (or some of it) down to the kids and/or you. E.g. 30 mins 3-player Lego or Minecraft, balance left as your 8 year's me-time gameplay.

Many different ways to skin that cat responsibly, fairly, and inclusively

Grumpypants

positivenote wrote: »

THanks One and all for the varied response.
To clarify a couple of points:
He's 7 and has gotten into reading alot over the past 3 months or so.
He loves his DS2 and gets it as a treat every few days.
There is a younger sister in the equation who isnt really into the DS2 as much tbh
Alot of his friends are talking about their xbox's and minecraft (which he is obsessed with when he goes to his cousins).
If I go with the xbox 360 he would proberbly expode with the excitment on christmas morning.
Where is the cheapest place to pick one up with a couple of controllers and say mario kart/Zelda/Minecraft etc... ?
Again thanks a million for the advice.

Double check with the cousins which xbox they have. The Xbox 360 is the older console. The xbox One is the latest model.

The xbox one will play most 360 games, but a 360 won't play xbox one games. Best off to future proof youself for 5+ years with a xbox one. Or you will be in the same situation next year.

You can look online for deals but they are all in and around they same price. Gamestop have a good xbox one deal with minecraft, fifa 18 and a jersey. For only €250.

ShadowHearth

From what I learned having an 8 year old ratty:

She has 3ds, my old 360 and tablet.

360 is a pure minecraft box. Buying games for it is pretty much waste of money. She plays for a bit and gets distracted by a spot on the wall and thats the end of it.
3ds is same, buying games for 50 quid, then her playing it for 15min and never coming back to it.

The tablet on the other hand is her weapon of choice. Kids get bored of games so fast and tablets got tons of free small games.

Where I am going with this? Switch is amazing, but its a lot of money for a console. Games cost 50-60 quid. Kids get bored of same game very fast and buying them for that price per pop is financial suicide.

If your child, op, asks for xbox, then get him x box as thats clearly what his friends have and play. No point buying anything else. I see it all the time how her friends come with their own 360 controllers to play games in our house.

Paleblood

positivenote wrote: »

THanks One and all for the varied response.
To clarify a couple of points:
He's 7 and has gotten into reading alot over the past 3 months or so.
He loves his DS2 and gets it as a treat every few days.
There is a younger sister in the equation who isnt really into the DS2 as much tbh
Alot of his friends are talking about their xbox's and minecraft (which he is obsessed with when he goes to his cousins).
If I go with the xbox 360 he would proberbly expode with the excitment on christmas morning.
Where is the cheapest place to pick one up with a couple of controllers and say mario kart/Zelda/Minecraft etc... ?
Again thanks a million for the advice.

Word of warning, it's 2DS, not DS2.

Around these parts 'DS2' is Dark Souls 2 and you definitely won't be getting your kid that for Christmas. :P

Digital Solitude

Remouad wrote: »

That's a perfect reason not to get one. Kids don't need something else to have a meltdown over

They have a tablet each, a PC, 3DS and an Xbox but would probably shank me for the Switch, which is why I bring it up. The 10 year old is COD and Minecraft obsessed until Mario Kart is on the table.

Not having kids of my own, meltdowns aren't something I think are common :pac:

Maybe try find out what games they play op? Minecraft and Fifa would be really popular, Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 or Switch all have those so if that's all he's interested in right now, the cheapest option might be the best.

TitianGerm

Paleblood wrote: »

Word of warning, it's 2DS, not DS2.

Around these parts 'DS2' is Dark Souls 2 and you definitely won't be getting your kid that for Christmas. :P

When I read the OP first I thought this little fella must be a serious gamer. Wanting Dark Souls :pac:

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

And now you spend your spare time either playing games or online talking about them.
You are not a good advertisment for the hobby!

Have a decent job, socialise, got a PhD and exercise (not as much as I should mind), so hasn't been all that detrimental to anything other than my bank account

Remouad

Paleblood wrote: »

Word of warning, it's 2DS, not DS2.

Around these parts 'DS2' is Dark Souls 2 and you definitely won't be getting your kid that for Christmas. :P

I was wondering about that.
Thought it was some new version of the DS that I hadn't heard of.
Last portable I had was the PSP

Remouad

Digital Solitude wrote: »

The 10 year old is COD and Minecraft obsessed

Can never understand why parents, who wouldn't let their kids watch a 15's/18's movie, have no problem with them playing an 18's game.

Regularly hear of kids as young as 6 who are playing GTA or COD.

CiDeRmAn

Minecraft on the Switch is fantastic, and playable away from the TV, which is a massive plus.
No CoD on Switch yet but ... There will be Doom!
And Legend of Zelda is probably the game of the year, regardless of format.
The system is naturally local multiplayer, so Astro Wars Deluxe, Mario Kart 8, Rayman Legends, Arms all great.
Splatoon 2 will also scratch that CoD itch but in a family friendly way, tons of fun.

TerrorFirmer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Minecraft on the Switch is fantastic, and playable away from the TV, which is a massive plus.
No CoD on Switch yet but ... There will be Doom!
And Legend of Zelda is probably the game of the year, regardless of format.
The system is naturally local multiplayer, so Astro Wars Deluxe, Mario Kart 8, Rayman Legends, Arms all great.
Splatoon 2 will also scratch that CoD itch but in a family friendly way, tons of fun.

Honestly I think you need to stand back a bit. You're almost aggressively pushing a €400 switch on someone who's clearly said their son is looking for an €80 xbox.

CiDeRmAn

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Honestly I think you need to stand back a bit. You're almost aggressively pushing a €400 switch on someone who's clearly said their son is looking for an €80 xbox.

Yeah, a PS3 or 360 would also serve as a good gateway.
And there's a massive library of titles to be played there too.
If a person is on a tight budget €100 will buy a person a console and a clatter of games to play on it, so if that fits the bill by all means.


The Switch is a great purchase for anyone, but it's not terribly cheap right now, and I didn't hide the cost, in fact I quoted prices for the system with a key game or two.

I think "almost aggressively pushing" is unfair and untrue, just because you might happen to disagree with it.
It's simply an opinion, doesn't carry any more weight than anyone elses opinion here, the OP will make their own decision, plenty of informed points being made, mine included.

mcgrath1992

i would recommend switch but to be honest i just think its bit expensive as a first console. If all he wants is an xbox then i think that would be best option than a switch especially if he has friends that also play it. Can pick up a pretty good deal on an original xbox one and plus it can play most 360 games aswell as new gen such as minecraft ( their still adding 360 games to the backwards compatibility list )

CiDeRmAn

mcgrath1992 wrote: »

i would recommend switch but to be honest i just think its bit expensive as a first console. If all he wants is an xbox then i think that would be best option than a switch especially if he has friends that also play it. Can pick up a pretty good deal on an original xbox one and plus it can play most 360 games aswell as new gen such as minecraft ( their still adding 360 games to the backwards compatibility list )

As much as I loved my 360, the PS3 probably got more play in the end.
And, seeing as the shops are still well stocked with pre-owned titles for the PS3, it's a good starter machine that a person could probably sell on for close to the current price in a years time.

kunst nugget

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

As much as I loved my 360, the PS3 probably got more play in the end.
And, seeing as the shops are still well stocked with pre-owned titles for the PS3, it's a good starter machine that a person could probably sell on for close to the current price in a years time.

I'd just get the xBox One if that's what the young lad wants. Backwards Compatibility, which the PS4 doesn't have, means you'll be able to pick up some cheap 360 games to play with it.

The Minecraft Favourites 500GB Xbox One S bundle is €240 with Forza 7 thrown in for free in Argos at the moment. That's not a bad price at all.

NIMAN

Personally I think 7 is too young and it should be delayed as long as it's not having a social impact.

I think this is an important point.

The OH heard a friend of his, who has been gaming with his dad and older brother for a few years now, that my boy "wouldn't understand cos you don't have a PS4" when discussing some game on a car journey.

I'd say nearly every friend of his at school, or GAA training or whatever, has a gaming console of some description. Inevitably young boys will talk about the latest games, so I do fear he is being left out of conversations, or will feel left out.

beauf

Xbox360 for minecraft. Nothing else really. Its not really a child's gaming console IMO. other than minecraft.

Wii for kids stuff. Get a HDMI converter for it.

Xbox has good time controls. Give them an hour a day lock it out etc. None on school days things like that. Also good as a netflix client.

evolving_doors

beauf wrote: »

Xbox360 for minecraft.
Wii for other stuff.

Xbox has good time controls. Give them an hour a day lock it out etc.

Also good as a netflix client.

I'd second the x box (360). Especially with younger siblings. Cheap as chips in Gamestop with plenty of second hand games going for half nothing.
Loadsa games, affordable, good online downloading and oodles of free demos.

Definitely get the kinect added on for a bit of dancing and exercise. It's good fun with groups too.

There will always be the playstation snobby hipster kid. Think of it as a life lesson for yer son.

NIMAN

PS4 seems to be the console of choice among the young kids from what I hear my son chatting about.

Some seem to have both a PS4 and XBox at home.

F1ngers

positivenote wrote: »

Hi all, my young fella is obsessed with his DS2 but anytime he goes to his friends or cousins he comes home wanting an Xbox. His friends have older brothers and his cousin is nearly 10.we are thinking of getting him a console for Christmas but I’ve never played an Xbox or play station before so haven’t a notion where to start.
I’m looking for advice on what console should I get him or should I leave it for a year or two? Any advice would be great but I’d rather he wasn’t online if I’m honest.
Thanks

He's asking for an xbox for a reason, his friends have it - no-brainer really.

You just need to figure if it's the 360 or the one that he wants.

kunst nugget

beauf wrote: »

Xbox360 for minecraft. Nothing else really. Its not really a child's gaming console IMO. other than minecraft.

Wii for kids stuff. Get a HDMI converter for it.

Xbox has good time controls. Give them an hour a day lock it out etc. None on school days things like that. Also good as a netflix client.

Minecraft, the Lego games, Plants vs Zombies, Overwatch, Skylanders, Stardew Valley, Forza, Fifa… there's more than enough on the the xBox One for kids to play.

The xBox 360 has stopped production since last year so I really can't see the likes of Fifa getting anymore versions beyond this year and even the ones coming out now are severely compromised with loads of modes missing.

The Wii is a great little console but it has been out of production for a while and I don't really see games in the shops for it anymore. I have my one hooked up to one of our TVs and it gets played by the kids maybe once every two or three months - it got a bit of extra play for a weekend recently when I pulled Beatles Rock Band out of the attic. Goes unloved a lot of the time though.

The Xbox one would be what I'd go for - it's the current generation console and will be for a couple of more years at least. He might be 7 now but he is going to get older and will probably want to play the likes of Fifa online with his friends in a couple of years time - the 360 will be useless to him then.

In terms of limiting the amount of time he spends on it - just stick the console in a communal area where you can keep an eye on him playing it - don't let it into his bedroom at all.