Playstation or Xbox?

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I know people will probably tell me that it is personal preference however, after years of not wanting to give in to my son for a games console (he has been begging for years), my husband thinks he is old enough (10). I now have entered into the overwhelming search for the right purchase.

Taking into consideration I don't want to spend a small fortune and that he is still fairly young, would you recommend the PS or Xbox?

I honestly don't know.

Again, it comes down to personal preference of the exclusive games. PS4 is a little more powerful so a lot of people will give it credit for that (even though you can't tell the difference unless you're comparing them side by side). I own both consoles and I prefer the Xbox One. The exclusive games it has are better than Sony's, IMO. Sony does have some very good ones, but in general, Microsoft has more. I also prefer the Xbox One controller. It's just a little more comfortable and the battery lasts much longer. I don't play much multiplayer, but when I do, I prefer Xbox Live to Playstation Network. It's just faster and more stable with less outages, although it does have some. I like the fact that it has the TV integration so if I'm playing a game and want to watch TV, I can just say, "Xbox, watch TV" and it will switch over to TV and I don't have to mess with changing any kind of inputs. To give the voice commands, it does require a Kinect be hooked up. You can either purchase an Xbox with a Kinect included or purchase one separately later on should you decide. You can also set it up to control other devices in your entertainment center such as an AV receiver so you can use voice commands to adjust volume, mute, etc.

Xbox also supports external storage devices so if the original drive gets full you can add an external drive at anytime to install games to. The PS4 does not have this option so if you want to upgrade the storage, you have to replace the drive that's built in. It would obviously be recommended to do this right away, before the PS4 is used because otherwise, you have to migrate everything from the current drive to the new one should you upgrade it later on.

Ultimately, it comes down to the exclusive games, however. Both consoles have some really good ones, but IMO, Xbox has more and better ones, at least right now and for the near future. Beyond that? Who knows.

Thank you for the detailed response.

I think the Xbox sounds like a good choice, especially factoring in the storage and controller. I will start looking into games that might interest him too.

Remember, the ESRB ratings system is your friend. Don't be the parent who buys the 10yo kid Call of Duty.

With that said, the most family-game friendly console on the market is the WiiU currently. There are a lot of excellent exclusives for both the PS4 and the One, but I would never let a 10yo play most of them.

For a 10 years old you should also think about a Wii U; the games of Nintendo are both kid friendly and of high quality.

I don't agree with that. The reality of the market mean that there is little amount of Japanese video games that get out on the Xbox One, leaving mostly western games that are obsessed with gritty realism to not appear "immature" and "kiddy’s" thus revealing their immaturity and childishness. JRPGs are more content appropriate for a10 years old while still offering more mature story and better art, and you won't get them on a Microsoft console.

Ehhhh... frankly, to me, both are a disappointment. The exclusives are mostly the same tired concepts that are repeated over and over by damn near every major developer these days. I'm sorry, but I've had enough of gritty and, ahem, (incoming sarcastic quotation marks!) """"""""edgy"""""""" stuff. What I see in these is one thing: "We ran out of ideas. Here's another shooter. It has guns! Yay!". Or "Here's yet another open-world game that does the same damn things every other one does".

I bought a PS4, but I bought it for LittleBigPlanet mostly. Having bought that and Mortal Kombat.... I've entirely exhausted the thing's supply of games I'd give a damn about. No, seriously. There's NOTHING else. I literally bought the entire console for that ONE game, and added Mortal Kombat later, somewhat at random (hugely in part to the PC version being messed up, apparently. I always always prefer PC over any console). As such, it's not used very much.

Much to my surprise though, the Wii U ended up being the one I like, and the one I keep buying games for. Very surprising indeed, considering my absolute blazing hatred for the original Wii. But the stuff on it is just so INTERESTING; and no, for the most part I dont mean Nintendo's usual core stuff. I'm mostly thinking the new Smash, Splatoon (which is completely new), and Mario Maker (there are hardly ANY games out there like that; LittleBigPlanet is the one and only other one I'm aware of). And developers on that thing seem to actually know what colors are, instead of just coloring everything brown and grey.


For the most part though, I've just stuck with PC. The previous generation of consoles disappointed the hell outta me. The Wii I completely hated and disposed of quickly. The 360's selection is mostly terrible to me.... I own a Japanese unit specifically because, for whatever bloody stupid reason, all of the shmups (one of my favorite genres) went onto THAT thing. I used to have a localized unit too, but it was basically a damn paperweight. I eventually gave it away. I still have a PS3, mostly because I've been too lazy to bother doing anything with it. Much of the time, I dont know where it is... dont really care, either. I'd been a total console gamer up to that point, but that generation pushed me over the edge.

I miss the old consoles, I really do.

Actually If you want an inexpensive console still receiving games, I suggest you get a Wii U (Nintendo's current console)
It is the most family friendly of the bunch with the easiest to use operating system.

For $235 you can get a refurbished (most likely a new system posing a refurb) that comes with:

Included in the set:

Wii U console (Black/32GB Internal Storage*)
Wii U GamePad (Zelda Edition)
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD digital game
Nintendo Land game disc
Wii U AC Adapter
Wii U GamePad AC Adapter
High Speed HDMI Cable
Sensor Bar

Nintendo Land is a great multiplayer game though you would have to get two Wii Remotes to take full advantage of the multiplayer goodness.
https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/p ... prod590344

Or for $225 you can get this refurbished (most likely new system) that comes with the newest Mario game.
Though you will need additional controllers if you want to play multiplayer (Wii Remotes work for this).
It also comes with Nintendo Land included too.
https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/p ... prod560316

These systems are most likely new ones and come with a full warranty.

Or if you think he'd rather have Super Mario Maker, which lets you make 2D Mario levels and upload them to the server for others to play (it's a great game and a creative time sink).
You can buy him the Super Mario Maker bundle for $300 at Walmart.
It comes with the game, the Modern Mario amiibo (figurine)

Not sure if it comes with Nintendo Land.


Best Buy has the Splatoon bundle for $300.
It comes with Splatoon and Nintendo Land
Splatoon is family friendly game where you play as humanoid squids who's weapons shoot colored ink.
Though it does have big online mode.

The parental controls are easy to work on Wii U.


There are plenty of games to keep your son busy that aren't filled with violence and loads of retro and digital titles too.
Wii U still gets the Lego games, Skylanders (newest one has two Nintendo characters in the Wii U version), Disney Infinity, Just Dance, and most other E-rated titles.

But seriously, Xbox and Playstation have almost nothing to offer over PC gaming. The initial investment is more expensive, yes, but it's worth it in the long run. Why? Well:

- PC games are often cheaper
- You don't have to pay for a service to play online
- Tons of awesome indie games that aren't mainstream garbage
- "Creative" games like Minecraft, Terraria, etc usually have their best versions on PC
- If you decide to buy the parts to build a system, you can help your son build it, and he'll learn valuable tech skills!

Of course, if you still want to go the console route, I'd recommend the Wii U. It's the only way to play Nintendo's first-party titles, almost all of which are high quality, family friendly fare, it's easier to set up than a PC, and it also doesn't require a paid online service. If you're unsure, I'd say this one's a sure bet.

Thank you everyone.

I am aware that a lot of games are a little too mature for him but he is into anything Lego and Minecraft so games like these would be my starting point. I've already made it clear to him that he can't be playing things like GTA or CoD at his age.

We already have a PC - this would not impress him. He associates it with having to do his homework or just for playing Minecraft.

I don't think he would be impressed with the Wii in all honesty. He has a fixed idea in his mind what he wants and the children he goes to school with either have Xboxs or Playstations, these he has played on and has experience with. I am surprised how many of you prefered the Wii though so maybe I should have another look.

We referred the Wii U, the successor to the Wii!
You're not the only one who confuses the two (so don't feel bad).

Find out what system the majority of his buddies have and get that.
It will allow him to connect and play games on line with them.

Technically Xbox One has best version of Minecraft due to content.
Though PS4 has more Japanese games not made by Nintendo.
Nintendo has more variety in different genre of video games.

Check Holiday ads to find the best deals.

Make sure you turn on the parental controls, which will prevent the playing of T and/or M rated games (if you set them correctly).

On the note of Minecraft, just since it's mentioned.... if you already have the PC version, dont bother with the console ones. Any of them. They're *awful*, in comparison. ALL of them.

I've now had the chance to try them all. And I just.... uuuugh. I"m not doing that again, I'll just put it that way. I'd originally gave one of them a try.... and then later tried the others.... because friends of mine were getting into the game. But heaven forbid they do the PC version (most of them can barely use a PC). So I tried those.... for a time, and... yeah. Just... no. I dont care if it'd let me play it with them. Not doing that again. It just angers me.

One thing to be aware of with the consoles though, for the PS4 and XBone: They really are focused on being more "mature" consoles. It's not that there arent games that arent violent, it's that, well.... ehhh... in all honesty, a HUGE number of games that are specifically meant to be "family friendly" (as in, they're marketed that way) are fantastically terrible these days. Particularly licensed titles (games made from kid's shows/movies/whatever); avoid those like the plague, unless for some absolutely baffling reason you've seen about a bazillion glowing reviews for one.... and even then, dont trust them completely (licensed games as a whole are legendary for being really, really bad). There's exceptions of course (apparently the Lego series has been consistently good, or so I hear), but it's something to be aware of.

Also.... one thing to consider, because it may be asked for, is the Skylanders or Disney Infinity games. They're some of the most popular ones right now... but they'll suck your money out through your ears if you let them (over and over and over again). And they'll just keep doing so. Dont buy either of those without fully understanding what they are first and what they could cost.

One more thing... have you asked him what kinds of games these friends of his play, that have those consoles? You might be able to get some ideas from that.

As far as Minecraft goes, he did play it on one of his friends consoles and complained that it was hard to control so wasn't overly keen on having it anywhere other than the PC. I was thinking that maybe he might change his mind. On the PC version, he goes on a server that is geared for AS kids so I don't mind since I know it's monitored.

The topic of game maturity is going to be an issue since I know, from what he has told me the other children in his class play, that they are allowed to have things that are completely not age appropriate so I am not sure how many games he'd be able to play with them.

I had already figured that anything solely aimed at children, Skylanders etc would be a money pit so I would have steered away from those anyway but now I'm worried I won't be able to find things for him that he enjoys and that I want him to play. When he watches YouTubers he seems to prefer the Lego /Minecraft theme but he does like shooting/adventure games.

I also have the added problem that he has a 7yo brother who shares his room and will want to play too so is finding two player games difficult?

I'm already regretting my husband mentioning this idea to him

I meant to type the Wii U.

Also, I had been thinking that perhaps getting the older X360 would give more choice of game titles? not to mention being cheaper.

Yes, the controls are bloody horrid for Minecraft on the consoles, mostly.

I'll put it this way: I cant use the mouse/keyboard for the PC version, because my arm will flare up from too much mouse use. Yet, the game does not support controllers. So.... I had to force it. I'll not bore you with the details of how I did it, but controller input basically gets translated into keyboard/mouse input. Which then meant I had to come up with the full control scheme on my own, with controls that are pretty darn odd. The sticks for instance dont control the view of the character directly; they simply control the mouse (which then controls that). But that also means that I have to use a mouse cursor controlled not by the mouse to navigate inventory or menus or whatever. In addition, the overall setup is just bloody bizarre. Usually in an FPS one stick controls movement, one controls view. In my setup, BOTH of them control view only, one at half speed; with the dpad controlling movement, and... it just gets weirder from there. But it works well enough for me, despite the absolute strangeness. I suspect most people would find it very difficult to use.

But despite how confusing THAT is.... the console controls are still much worse. They're THAT bad. Even being so used to bizzarro controls, I still find the console versions nearly unplayable. I just cant do it. And that's just the start of their problems...


Now as for the rest of it, one way or another, it's damn near impossible to avoid things like violence in video games. And note that when I say "violence" I dont mean just "blood and gore". It could be anything, even just, I dunno, simple explosions. It's not much different than many other forms of media... it's hard to avoid violence in TV and movies too. It's just always there, it's a part of it. The issue just becomes about how MUCH is too much, and even within the same "ratings", it can vary wildly. Instead of worrying too much about the ratings, it's best to research each game a bit on your own; it doesnt take too long to find some detailed info on them, so you can make a more informed decision. As someone that has sold games before, for a job, I encountered SO MANY parents that, frankly, hadnt the foggiest damn clue what they were doing. They never researched anything, so they'd pick up a game, just ASSUMING it was what they were after, only to come back and whine a bunch later (as if it was the fault of anyone at the store, who typically tried to explain things...). Or they might have missed out on something that would fit what they were searching for (on the occaision that they explained it in detail to me), but they just blindly followed the rating on it without thinking further. Either action can be a mistake.

Everyone with kids has their own style of parenting, but regardless of that, I think that with any form of media... games, TV, movies, whatever.... it's pretty important to look into a given thing before choosing one; individual games in this case. I think that's really all you have to do, to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.

One very specific thing I will strongly suggest though: Try to keep him from going online with these games on consoles, whatever they are. Playing JUST with friends is a normal experience. Playing with random people online can be a bloody disaster. Even full-grown adults can get disturbed by alot of the very messed up crap that's spewed by some players they meet online. It's very.... toxic. I cant stand it, myself.


As for the 360.... just be aware that it is now very "behind the times". It's obsolete. It can now make it hard to find people to play with, as more and more switch to the new consoles. It's the same with the PS3 VS the PS4. It's just how it goes.... you know how technology always is with stuff like this. Gotta stick with whatever's new! Though yes, the selection is much bigger, though alot of the very same themes still apply (a high focus on "mature" games, or.... what they perceive as mature, frankly I think plenty of mature ones are very childish myself...). Very definitely muuuuuch cheaper though. If you end up going with taht though, treat the thing carefully. 360s are notorious for having.... problems. Well, usually. Mine is pretty beat up but seems to mysteriously still work just fine.


Oh, and there are plenty of 2-player games for all devices. NOT including multiplayer is practically a sin these days. Just leads to the developers getting yelled at alot.

I think it's fair to say Minecraft is out. My son gets easily frustrated and would probably just refuse to play if it's too awkward.

You're right. The best thing I can do it treat the games on a case by case basis. I am not opposed to violence in all forms, just with things that are overly extreme and I don't want him seeing half naked women or themes like GTA where he comes across prostitutes and such. Perhaps watching gaming YouTube videos myself to get an idea of what's in the game?

I am already wary of the children chatting or playing online with strangers, hence why I only let him go on a the AS server. I myself often have difficulty with online interactions so I know the minefield it can be.

I'm glad to hear I can find two player games, the way the media seems to portray online gaming I was concerned the old fashioned side by side play was becoming a thing of the past.

I suppose I will avoid the older model if it's problematic. Although the price is attractive, I don't want it crashing on me and having an angry little boy. He gets frustrated enough when his tablet acts up.

Looks like I have more research to do...