Gaming for Parents 101: Where do I start?
So, your kid wants to get into gaming, but you don’t know where to begin. Is my child old enough to game? Should you get them a PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo console? What about a nice big gaming computer? But if you get a computer, what components are inside? Is it any good? Is it worth the price? And how do you make sure your children are only playing games that are appropriate for them? Is there a parental guide to help with all of this?? Well, lucky for you we’re here to help!
I’ve been asked these kinds of questions for years, even before starting Midlands Gaming. I always thought it would be nice to have a place that could help parents with newer gamers (or even some older ones) get their bearings while still making sure their kids are having a fun and safe time playing games. This idea for a blog series came when I was helping a friend of mine set up a new Xbox console for his child. He had no idea what to do with the console that wasn’t working and even if it did start working, he wouldn’t know what to do with it. (A little advice, don’t buy consoles from Ebay UNLESS it says in the description that it was Tested and Works. And even then, I would always suggest just going to a locally owned game store like the Gamez Block to buy a system.)
To start, I think we should explore a few questions. 1. What age is it appropriate to start gaming? 2. What system should you buy? 3. How do you maintain control over what they are playing? These seem to be the most frequently asked questions I get and there are answers to all of them!
Let’s answer number 1 to begin. What age should someone start gaming? Well, that’s up to you! My four year old daughter wanted to get her own game to play just like me, but I didn’t think she was old enough for something like a Nintendo Switch. For Christmas this year, I surprised her with a Game Boy Color just like I had when I was a kid. I thought this would help with not only having a nice, slow introduction to the gaming world, but might help her learn to read a little faster as well! I always think that something a little older is always better for younger gamers. You have access to a wide library of games (that you can get at your local retro game store) and it’s a lot cheaper to replace an older system than a new one.
I’ll break it down like this, here are some age ranges that I think would be appropriate for each console type:
Under 6 - At the parents discretion, but I would suggest a Game Boy
Ages 6-10 - Nintendo Switch Lite: It’s durable, it’s lightweight AND it’s great for long car rides where they need a distraction for a while. Plus the Switch has an amazing library of games that are great for everyone! (I’m a big fan of the Luigi’s Mansion games.) It’s important to note that this version of the Switch is handheld only and can’t be hooked up to the TV.
Ages 11-12 - I would recommend a regular Nintendo Switch that can be docked and played on a TV or played in handheld mode. It’s got a lot of versatility as a console, but is lacking in terms of power. This is a great system for games like Mario, Zelda and Metroid, but also has access to Fortnite and Rocket League.
Ages 13-17 - This is where I would start to recommend more powerful consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox. In terms of which one to get, that would depend on things like where their friends play and what their personal preference is. Personally, I like them both, but if I had to pick one for you as a parent, I would choose the Xbox. Not only is it just as powerful as the PlayStation, you also can get access to Xbox Game Pass where you can pay $10 a month for you child to have access to a ton of games. It’s honestly a great bargain since most Xbox developed games are put on there Day One which can save you a ton of money in the long run. BUT this won’t help with your child’s need for V-Bucks in Fortnite unfortunately.
When your child is becoming a teenager might be a good time to explore computer gaming as well. Having a computer that can play games is not only beneficial to play on, but that usually means it’s a more powerful machine that can do a lot more on it as well and will be useful for long term use as your child grows. The only caveat to this is Gaming Laptops. A desktop is going to have a much longer life than a laptop, but we will get into that on another day!
Lastly, I want to go into how you can have some control over what your child is playing and how long they’re playing. Each gaming ecosystem has it’s own parental controls that you can use to limit things like purchases, games they can download and how long they can play. Here are some quick links for you to explore based on which system your children are playing on:
PlayStation’s Family Management
I always recommend parents take a hands on approach when it comes to gaming and making sure their kids are playing safe. Leave a comment below of more topics you would like us to cover to expand your knowledge of the Gaming Landscape! You’re not in this alone. We are here to help!
-Andrew
