Videogames can be a great way of introducing children to puzzles, learning about overcoming challenges and socialising with friends and family through multiplayer games. There are plenty of games out there for younger players but finding the right fit for your needs can be a little trickier.

Here, we look at the systems best set up for child friendly gaming so that you can get the most out of your console.

What console has the most child friendly games?

Nintendo has a business model that focusses on family friendly gaming, with a roster of characters of their own aimed at children (like Super Mario and Pokémon) as well as having third-party games on their consoles as well.

As such, the Nintendo Switch has the most age-appropriate games for children. The Nintendo Switch 2 has the same ethos to it but hasn’t been around as long so is still building its library of games, but with most Switch games backwards compatible on the Switch 2, it also has a great offering for young ones.

To understand more about game age ratings, read our blog on PEGI ratings here.

What age should a child get a gaming console?

There is no set ‘ideal age’ for getting a games console, but between the ages of 6 and 9-years-old tend to be a sweet spot for most. Understanding a child’s level of responsibility and self-regulation will help you decide on when is best for them to get a console as you’ll want them to follow screen-time rules and balance gaming with other creative and physical activities. If you think your child can stop when you ask them to and knows their own limits, then they are probably ready to pick up a controller.

An understanding of online safety is essential too, if you’re going to have a system connected to the internet, so it’s vital to have these conversations beforehand. Read more about keeping children safe during online gaming here.

What is the safest gaming console for children?

All of the major consoles have online safety features and parental controls in place so, no matter what you buy, you should be able to set screen time limits and control the media they are seeing.

Nintendo is designed for more family-friendly gaming, with PlayStation and Xbox typically aiming at older audiences. As such, there may be more content on the latter two consoles that you don’t necessarily want your child coming across but it all comes down to staying informed and on top of what your child is playing and who they are playing with. So, is the Nintendo or the PS5 better for children? Honestly, although Nintendo has a child friendly focus, both can be tailored to what you need for your family.

Check out our guides on the Parental Controls of the Nintendo Switch and the Parental Controls of PlayStation for more info on how to ensure safer gaming on either of these systems.

Which is the best game console for children?

Again, there’s no definitive answer to this because it depends on a whole load of different factors including what your child needs, what they want and what you want. All of the major consoles have parental controls, and all have a range of games for younger audiences.

In terms of hardware, the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have the detachable joy con controllers that fit smaller hands better (although some may argue that PS5 and Xbox controllers are more ergonomically designed) and it is a robust and portable machine great for pick-up-and-put-down play.

What is the best game console for beginners?

Ultimately, the choice of gaming console comes down to personal preference and what you want from your gaming experience. If you’re completely new to gaming, a Switch or Switch 2 may be suitable given their robustness and portability, so you can pick up and play anywhere you like.

That being said, PlayStation has a vast array of exclusive titles that make it stand out and Xbox has a lot of crossovers with PC so can be used to play games across PC and console. Physically, both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are chunky things too, so a Nintendo is smaller and can be played docked or in handheld mode. However, the other two are more powerful and with better graphical outputs. Consider what you want from a console and find games with a learning curve suitable to beginners before making your pick.

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