Choose a device platform whose family controls address the issue you most need to manage, rather than assuming chat, purchases and play time work the same way everywhere. A console keeps gaming centred on one platform, while a tablet or computer also calls for decisions about wider app, web and account access. Whichever route you choose, set up the child’s own account with the correct age and check each intended game’s communication and payment settings.
If voice chat, messages, multiplayer contact or user-generated content could change your device choice, compare the controls for the child’s account before concentrating on screen-time limits. Ofcom highlights parents’ concerns about strangers and bullying in online gaming; Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox document different ways to manage communication.
If approval is needed before a child buys games, apps or in-game items, consider who controls the account and which payment route each game uses. A store approval setting does not necessarily cover payments made elsewhere.
If the same device will also be used for apps, browsing or schoolwork, compare those account and access settings alongside gaming limits. A focused console and a multipurpose tablet or computer create different things to manage.
Start with the games and other tasks the child needs the device for, then check the family-account controls on the platform you would use. A parental-control app helps manage its associated platform; it is not a substitute for checking the device and each game.
Consider it when: You want gaming centred on a console platform with family settings for areas such as content, communication, spending and play time.
Bear in mind: Setup differs: Nintendo’s more extensive Switch controls use an app and apply at console level, while PlayStation uses child-account controls and Xbox uses a Microsoft family group.
Consider it when: The child needs games and other apps on a portable device, and you can manage the relevant Apple or Google child-account setup.
Bear in mind: App downloads, browsing and messaging also need attention; Google Play purchase approvals, for example, apply only to Google Play billing.
Consider it when: The child needs PC games, schoolwork or other software that makes a computer useful beyond gaming.
Bear in mind: Software and web access add settings to manage. On Windows, Microsoft family controls depend on the child’s account and the relevant devices and services being linked.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplayer communication | Check child-account settings for voice and text chat, multiplayer contact and user-generated content, then review the intended game’s own social features. | If my child plays with people outside the household, limiting unwanted contact matters more to me than simply limiting time. Around 33% of consumers put communication and contact controls first. |
| Purchases and downloads | Check approval or spending settings and identify the store or billing route used for each intended game and its in-game purchases. | I want a way to approve game and app spending before payment methods are used. Purchase control is the primary need for around 27% of consumers. |
| Play time and routines | Find out whether limits apply to an account, one console or linked devices, and whether scheduling needs a companion app. | If gaming needs to fit around a regular routine, I care about limits I can manage on the device the child actually uses. Around 20% of consumers place play-time management first. |
| Wider app and web access | For a tablet or computer, check app access, browser controls and which child account must be signed in. | When the device will also be used beyond games, I need to manage its broader apps, web access and accounts. For around 20% of consumers, that wider environment is the main concern. |
Child-specific controls depend on the relevant supervised account or family group; using a shared adult account can undermine the intended restrictions. Ofcom advises registering the child’s correct age so platforms can apply age-appropriate settings.
Before buying, check how to create the child’s account, connect the parent account and add both to the platform’s family setup.
Purchase controls may apply only to a particular billing system. Google, for example, says Google Play approvals cover purchases through Google Play billing.
Identify where each likely game handles downloads and in-game payments, then set the relevant approvals or limits before adding a payment method.
Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox use different communication-control setups, while tablets and computers may also provide other messaging and web routes.
If contact with other players matters to your decision, compare voice and text restrictions, multiplayer permissions and any app dependency for the intended platform and game.
PEGI helps assess the age suitability of game content. It does not replace separate decisions about online interaction, purchases and play time.
Check the rating alongside the game’s online features, then set the corresponding platform controls before the child plays online.
The useful distinction is how each platform’s controls are applied, not the brand name alone. Check the account and game requirements for the device you are considering.
Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 offer console controls, with more extensive options managed through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app.
PlayStation uses family-account controls managed through a console, web account management or the PlayStation Family app.
Xbox consoles use Microsoft family accounts and the Xbox Family Settings app, which may be relevant when a household also uses Windows devices.
iPad and Mac can combine games with other apps, using Family Sharing, a Child Account, Screen Time and Ask to Buy.
Android tablets and Chromebooks can use a supervised Google Account, Family Link and Google Play settings.
No: set up the child’s own account with the correct age and add it to the relevant family group. Ofcom advises correct age registration for age-appropriate platform settings, while Apple and PlayStation tie their family controls to child-account setup.
Not necessarily: check where each intended game or app takes payment. Google says Family Link purchase approvals apply only to Google Play billing, so a different billing route needs its own check.
Platforms offer communication controls, but the options and setup differ. PlayStation documents child-account communication restrictions, Xbox has social and multiplayer settings, and Nintendo Switch 2 has app-linked GameChat controls for supervised users under 16. Check the intended game’s own chat features too.
No. PEGI helps you assess the age suitability of game content; communication, spending and play-time settings are separate checks for the device platform and intended game.