Parents choosing a first gaming device
If your child will play games with online features, compare the games available with the account, content, communication, purchase and time settings you can put in place.
Who is this for?
Families sharing a device
Check whether restrictions follow the child’s account or affect everyone using the device. Nintendo UK says Switch parental controls apply to the console, not to each user.
Households using Xbox, Windows or Android together
Microsoft says app and game limits can extend across connected devices through Family Safety. Check which devices and services the child will use, and set up their family-group account.
What should you check before choosing?
Start with the intended games and the child’s account, then check where each control lives: on the device, in a family service, in the store or inside the game.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Games and device | Confirm that the intended games run on the console, tablet, computer or phone you are considering. Check whether online play uses another account or game service. | If my child mainly plays console games, a dedicated console may fit; for mobile games or PC titles, I need to check the corresponding device and its wider uses. |
| Child account | Check how to create a separate child account, register the correct age and add an adult family organiser. Ofcom says registered age affects restrictions on features, games and content for younger users. | I want controls attached to my child’s use, rather than relying on an adult account that the household shares. |
| Content and contact | Check age settings and PEGI information for each game, then inspect friends, chat, multiplayer and privacy settings in the platform account and game. Device controls may not cover every in-game interaction. | Who can contact my child matters as much as which games they can open. I need to review both sets of settings before online play. |
| Time and sharing | Compare schedules, play-time limits and activity information with the way your family shares devices. Nintendo UK says Switch restrictions apply console-wide; Google says Family Link app limits cannot be placed on system apps. | Our routine needs workable limits, but adults or siblings may also use the device. I need to know whom a limit will affect. |
| Purchases | Check store approval and spending settings separately from a game’s own purchase arrangements. Google says Family Link purchase approval applies to purchases processed through Google Play billing. | I want to know which requests I can approve and whether the child’s games use a different billing route. |
| Browsers and apps | For a laptop, tablet or phone, check controls for non-gaming apps and browsing too. Microsoft says its Family Safety web filters require supported Edge and Family Safety setups; confirm the browser and sign-in arrangement the child will use. | If the device is also for schoolwork, messaging or browsing, I need controls that suit those uses, not just the game launcher. |
Where can parental controls fall short?
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Buying before arranging a child account
Ofcom says platforms use a child’s registered age to restrict certain features, games and content. Using a shared adult account can defeat that age-based setup.
Before choosing a platform, check that you can create a separate child account and manage it through the required family group or companion app.
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Assuming one device limit covers every game
Controls have different boundaries: Nintendo’s companion app provides further Switch options, Microsoft web filtering has browser and sign-in conditions, and Google excludes system apps from Family Link app limits.
After setup, check the actual game, account, launcher and browser your child will use.
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Relying on store approval for every purchase
Google limits Family Link purchase approval to Google Play billing. Apple’s Ask to Buy and in-app purchase settings concern its own purchase routes; a game may require separate checks.
Set store restrictions, then inspect each game’s purchase and account settings before allowing online play.
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Overlooking rules on a shared Switch
Nintendo UK says Switch parental controls are set for the console rather than each user, so restrictions also affect adults and older siblings using it.
Set a shared console with its youngest player in mind, and decide whether console-wide restrictions suit everyone who uses it.
Platform controls to compare
These are platform settings to investigate for the device you choose, not a list of devices available in the product section.
Nintendo
Switch and Switch 2 offer console parental controls, with further options through Nintendo’s companion app.
- Nintendo UK lists play-time limits and gameplay history among the app’s options.
- Nintendo UK says restrictions apply to the console rather than individual users. Check Nintendo Account family settings separately for account-level restrictions.
Xbox
Microsoft family tools cover child settings on Xbox, with some app and game limits extending to connected Windows and Android devices.
- Xbox describes age-based content, communication, multiplayer and screen-time settings for family members.
- Microsoft’s web filtering depends on the supported browser, apps and sign-in setup; do not assume it governs every PC browser or game.
PlayStation
Sony’s PlayStation Family app provides controls for a child family member using PS5 or PS4.
- Sony lists game and app restrictions, online communication and spending settings in its family tools.
- Check the settings in each intended game as well as the child’s PlayStation account.
Apple
For iPad or iPhone, a Child Account in Family Sharing allows parents to manage device use through Screen Time.
- Apple describes controls for apps, websites, communications and device-use time, alongside Ask to Buy for eligible purchase requests.
- Check Family Sharing and software prerequisites, then review any third-party game’s own chat and payment settings.
Family Link provides supervised-account controls for supported Android devices and Chromebooks.
- Google describes screen-time limits and Google Play purchase approvals for eligible supervised setups.
- Google says system apps cannot receive app limits, and Family Link purchase approval applies only to Google Play billing.
Joybuy device options
These Joybuy options cover two of the device routes discussed here: Xbox consoles for console gaming and child-oriented tablets for mobile games. Compare their account and game settings against your household’s needs before choosing.
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Xbox Series X 1TB Digital Edition, White
For a child playing Xbox console games, Microsoft’s family tools provide age-based content, communication, multiplayer and screen-time settings. Set up a child member of the Microsoft family group and check each game’s privacy and purchase settings separately.
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Xbox Series X 1TB Console, Black
This Xbox console can be managed through a child account in a Microsoft family group. Microsoft lists age-based content, communication, multiplayer and screen-time settings; check the intended games’ own controls and confirm the console configuration if disc games matter to you.
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HONOR X8A Kids 11-inch WiFi 128GB, Space Grey
A tablet option for mobile games and apps. Its product description describes a Kids Mode and parent-managed time and content settings; before choosing it, confirm how those settings are set up and whether the intended games’ communication and purchases need separate controls.
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Alldocube Kido 8-inch Android 15 Tablet with Blue Case
For supervised mobile-game use, the product description identifies a Child Lock; confirm its setup and check communication and purchase settings in each intended game. The listed configuration has a Unisoc T310, 3GB+32GB, 5G WiFi and a 5000mAh battery. It states that no adapter is included, so check that you have a suitable one.
Questions parents ask
Should my child use my gaming account?
Set up a separate child account in the platform’s family group where supported. Ofcom says the correct registered age matters because platforms restrict certain features, games and content for younger users; check the account arrangement before your child starts online play.
Are console parental controls enough for online games?
Console controls are a starting point, not a substitute for checking each game. Review the child’s friends, chat, multiplayer, privacy and purchase settings in the platform account and the games they will play.
Can a shared Switch have different console restrictions for each child?
Nintendo UK says Switch parental controls apply to the console, not to each user, so everyone using it faces the same console restrictions. Set those controls with the youngest player in mind and check separately which Nintendo Account family restrictions are available.
Will app-store approval cover every in-game purchase?
Do not assume it will. Apple offers Ask to Buy and in-app purchase restrictions through its family tools, while Google says Family Link approval applies only to purchases processed through Google Play billing. Check how each intended game handles purchases.
Is a PEGI rating enough to decide on online play?
Use PEGI information to help choose age-appropriate games, then check online features separately. PEGI identifies controls for areas including chat, spending and play time; the device, platform account and game may each have settings to configure.