Choose around the games your child wants to play and the devices used by their friends or family: check each game’s platform availability, cross-play, account rules and online membership requirements before buying hardware. A home console suits TV-based play, a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 adds portable play, and an existing tablet or computer may suffice if the intended games and supervision settings work on it. Set up the child’s own account and review communication, playtime and spending controls before online play begins.
If a child wants to join particular friends or relatives, start with the exact games and the devices everyone uses. Owning a similar console is not enough to establish that a particular game edition supports playing together.
A shared device needs a plan for who uses each account. PlayStation and Xbox describe child-account or family-group settings that adults can use to manage communication, content and playtime; the settings need to apply to the child’s own profile.
A Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 is worth considering when play away from the TV matters. An existing tablet or computer is another route if the intended games run on it and the family can manage the relevant game and device accounts.
Identify the games and play group first; then check access requirements and the controls the child will actually use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Playing together | Check each game and edition on the devices in the group. Confirm cross-play, friend invites and any account requirements for that title; a platform name alone does not establish compatibility. | I want my child to join particular friends or relatives, so I need to know that their versions of the game can connect. |
| Online access | Check the game’s multiplayer membership rules and which child or family accounts are covered. PlayStation says most PS4 and PS5 games need PlayStation Plus; Nintendo says Switch Online is needed for many compatible games, with some free-to-play exceptions. Microsoft says Minecraft online play on an Xbox console needs at least Game Pass Essential. | Before choosing a device, I need to know what is required for the specific game my child will play online. |
| Contact controls | Create a child account or supervised profile and review both platform and in-game chat, messaging and friend settings. Test the settings using the account the child will use. | I want play with known people without opening communication more widely than intended. Ofcom’s May 2026 report on UK children aged 8–17 says 55% interacted at least sometimes with people they had only met online; that describes interaction, not parents’ buying preferences. |
| Family settings | Check where playtime, content and spending settings apply. PlayStation ties parental controls to accounts, Xbox uses organiser-managed family settings, and Nintendo describes parental controls for the console. | In a shared household, I need the rules we set to work when my child signs in or uses the console, rather than relying on an adult’s account. |
| Where play happens | Decide whether TV-based play, portable play or an existing device fits the household. Then confirm that the intended games are available on that particular device. | Portable play matters in our home, or we may already have a device suitable for the games my child wants. |
| Game suitability | Review the PEGI rating and content information for each game. Check its online communication and user-generated-content features separately; a game rating does not describe every online interaction. | I want to assess the game itself as well as the people my child might encounter while playing it. |
Cross-play depends on the title and edition. PlayStation’s game pages describe cross-platform play for Asphalt Legends but say the cited Call of Duty: Black Ops title does not support multiplayer with non-PlayStation platforms.
Write down the games, editions and devices used by everyone in the group. Check the publisher’s or platform’s information on cross-play and friend invites before choosing hardware.
Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox describe different membership requirements, and exceptions depend on the game. A subscription that works for one title or account arrangement should not be assumed to cover another.
Check the exact game’s requirements and, for a shared device, which family members or accounts the membership covers.
Family controls may not follow the intended supervision plan when the child uses an account configured for an adult. PlayStation and Xbox describe child-specific account settings, while Nintendo describes console-level parental controls.
Set up the relevant child account or console controls first. Use that setup to test chat, friend requests, content access, playtime and store settings.
A rating helps families assess game content, but online modes can also involve messages, voice chat or content created by other players.
Review the rating alongside the game’s online features, then configure communication and privacy settings for the child’s account.
These platform rules help narrow the device choice; they do not establish that a particular game will work with your child’s play group.
Consider the PS4 or PS5 route when the intended games and known play group use PlayStation and the household wants a home console with child-account settings.
Consider Xbox when the intended games and play group use it, particularly if organiser-managed family profiles and app-accessible settings suit the household.
Switch and Switch 2 offer a handheld and home-play route where the intended games are available on the chosen model.
These options cover Nintendo portable-and-home play and PlayStation and Xbox home consoles. Check the intended games and play group before using the device format or model to narrow your choice.
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Consider this Switch 2 if portable and home play matter and the child’s intended games are available on this model. Check play with friends on their devices, the game’s online membership rules and whether Nintendo’s console-level parental controls suit a shared setup.
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This PS5 Disc Edition is a home-console option if the intended games and play group use PlayStation. Confirm the game edition, cross-play and any PlayStation Plus requirement; set up a separate child account for the family controls described by PlayStation.
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Consider this 1TB Xbox Series X for home play when the intended games and known group use Xbox. Check the exact title’s multiplayer and subscription rules, then configure the child’s family profile through Xbox’s organiser settings.
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This 1TB Digital Edition is an Xbox home-console option for a household choosing digital game access. Confirm that the intended titles, the play group’s devices and each game’s online requirements fit before choosing it; use a separate child profile for family settings.
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This 512GB Xbox Series S is another home-console option if the intended games and known play group use Xbox. Check whether its storage suits the planned games, confirm multiplayer requirements for each title and configure a child profile before online play.
No; check the exact game and console. Nintendo says Switch Online is needed for online features in many compatible games but not some free-to-play titles. PlayStation says most PS4 and PS5 online multiplayer games need PlayStation Plus, while Microsoft says Minecraft online play with others on an Xbox console needs at least Game Pass Essential.
Only if the exact game and editions support the required cross-play and account arrangements. PlayStation’s pages describe cross-platform play for Asphalt Legends but say the cited Call of Duty: Black Ops title does not support multiplayer with non-PlayStation platforms. Check every player’s game version and device before buying.
Set up the relevant child account or supervised profile, then review content, communication, playtime and spending settings using that account. PlayStation describes family-manager controls, Xbox uses organiser-managed family settings, and Nintendo provides parental controls for its consoles. Check the game’s own communication settings as well.
No. Decide whether voice chat is needed, then check who the child can communicate with through both the game and platform settings. PlayStation describes voice-chat restrictions for child accounts, Xbox provides family communication settings, and Nintendo describes additional GameChat controls for under-16s and supervised Switch 2 users.
No. Use the PEGI rating and content information to assess the game, then look separately at its online features, including chat and interaction with other players. Configure the relevant child-account or console controls for those features.