Help this clueless mom pick a gaming system

[Anonymous]

The pandemic-induced boredom and isolation has us rethinking our no video game household. Even my sons teacher recommended gaming to help him socialize. My husband and I are not gaming people. Looking for recommendations on a good system.

We have an 8 and a 10 year old. Looking for something easy to figure out, with good parental controls, and access to some games that will include some level of physical activity like the wii used to. We don’t really need portability or a million games.

Any recommendations? I’m not sure where to start.

[Anonymous]

I think you can use a regular PC for many games. It certainly is enough for minecraft, Roblox, and fortnite.
For physical movement wiiU would be a good choice; Nintendo switch has some options too.

[Anonymous]

You're not going to find what you want with socialization.

[Anonymous]

Wii U is a dead console though. For socialization (online play with friends), your kid won't find too many takers in 2020.

For ES kids, the Switch is a good fit. There's Just Dance which is silly and fun (and requires no actual dance ability -- mostly just a lot of jumping around). A lot of people like Ring Fit Adventure, although it's a more expensive game because it comes with a ring controller, but you get to explore a really big world with lots of different types of environments. Eight and 10 should be old enough to do it. Check some videos on YouTube to see if you like it. Also Sports Party, Arms and check videos on this one too, but Fitness Boxing sounds boring, but is actually popular and really fun. I'd think 10 would be old enough for that.

Switches were very hard to come by during the pandemic, as the main factory in China shut down and the supply chain to the US dried up while everyone was home, but they're becoming available for retail price on Amazon, Target and Walmart online now.

PS4 and XBox One are more for serious gamers and would usually skew older.

The main thing, though, if you want socialization, is to have the kids ask their friends what systems they have and what games they play before you buy. All the systems have online play, but at those ages, you will want to skip the general online, where you play with a bunch of 40-year-olds around the world, but instead just use the systems that let you play privately with your real-life friends. So a Switch won't do you any good if everybody in their grades are into PS4, etc.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

If it's Xbox, Microsoft has fantastic child controls for Xbox Live.

[Anonymous]

The Switch is great fun and has more educational and non-violent content than some of the other games... not sure how many games are truly active, but the vehicle labo set is a lot of fun to build and teaches the science behind all the features in the switch controllers (joy-con).

If you can’t find a new switch, what about trying to get an old wii console? The active games like wii resort are probably really cheap these days.

[Anonymous]

Switch Lites are available but the Switch is hard to find. I am seeing reports of it becoming more available. We have the Switch and the Ring Fit game which is great for exercise.

Minecraft and other similar games are available on a regular computer if you are most interested in those.

[Anonymous]

Minecraft for computer or tablet. Nintendo Switch can also be played online with friends. Avoid Roblox like the plague. So much crap in there even with parental controls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wii U is a dead console though. For socialization (online play with friends), your kid won't find too many takers in 2020.

For ES kids, the Switch is a good fit. There's Just Dance which is silly and fun (and requires no actual dance ability -- mostly just a lot of jumping around). A lot of people like Ring Fit Adventure, although it's a more expensive game because it comes with a ring controller, but you get to explore a really big world with lots of different types of environments. Eight and 10 should be old enough to do it. Check some videos on YouTube to see if you like it. Also Sports Party, Arms and check videos on this one too, but Fitness Boxing sounds boring, but is actually popular and really fun. I'd think 10 would be old enough for that.

Switches were very hard to come by during the pandemic, as the main factory in China shut down and the supply chain to the US dried up while everyone was home, but they're becoming available for retail price on Amazon, Target and Walmart online now.

PS4 and XBox One are more for serious gamers and would usually skew older.

The main thing, though, if you want socialization, is to have the kids ask their friends what systems they have and what games they play before you buy. All the systems have online play, but at those ages, you will want to skip the general online, where you play with a bunch of 40-year-olds around the world, but instead just use the systems that let you play privately with your real-life friends. So a Switch won't do you any good if everybody in their grades are into PS4, etc.

Good luck!

+1 We initially got a Playstation because that's what my gamer DH prefers but after a couple years got an Xbox because that's what all DS's friends used.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t the new PS coming in November? I hear it is incredible.