by Are you looking for a good game console for a child? Then you are right! In this article, we have selected the best game consoles for children 2022 and put together a guide with what you should think about before a purchase.
It’s easy to think of video games as something you do yourself, but it can also be a fun activity for the whole family and a way to spend time with your children in a relaxed way.
For children, a game console and games are not only fun – it also helps to teach them important skills such as focus, concentration, hand-eye coordination. As many of today’s games are also in English, their vocabulary is also being developed.
Below you will find a flexible overview of our best in tests with a top list of six game consoles.
Overview best game console for children 2022
1. Nintendo Switch
- Best game console for kids & the whole family
- Connect to the TV or play handheld
- Large selection of child-friendly games
- Motion control – Controls with movements
- Exclusive rights to games like Mario, Zelda & Pokémon
- Mobile app for smooth parental control
2. Xbox Series S
- Powerful & affordable game console for QHD gaming
- The smallest Xbox ever – Saves space!
- Large selection of games for both younger and older children
- Incredibly compliant image thanks to 120 FPS
- No hassle with discs, only digital
- Solid parental control
3. PlayStation 4 Slim
- Slim version of the immensely popular PS4
- Narrow hand controls – Good for smaller children
- Quiet fan
- Many games to buy for all ages
- Parental control with i.a. time limits
4. Nintendo Switch Lite
- Handheld game console, similar to the classic Gameboy
- Easy for the child to carry everywhere
- Play Switch games that support handheld mode
- Several nice colors
- Can be played online with friends
5. PlayStation 5
- Latest console from Sony
- Awesome gaming experiences for children & adults
- Play at up to 8K resolution
- Find all types of games in the PlayStation catalog
- Opportunity for comprehensive parental control
6. Xbox Series X
- The most powerful console on the market right now
- Offers resolution up to 8K
- Compliant image with 120 FPS
- Many child-friendly games to buy
- Comprehensive parental control
Choosing the right game console
There are some important things to keep in mind if you are thinking of buying a new game console for kids. Should the console be for the whole family? Should you be able to play via a disc or is it enough to download the games digitally? What is your budget?
In order for you to get a better idea of what to think about and look for, we have put together a buying guide below.
Parental control on the game console
Most game consoles today have some type of parental control. With parental control, you can limit access to materials that are unsuitable for children. For example, if a child is playing a game that is not appropriate for their age , the console warns them when the game starts.
Other possibilities for restrictions in a parental control are to put filters in the console’s browser and regulate how long a child can play before the console automatically shuts off.
If the game console is to be used by several children, you can set different restrictions on different user accounts , which is useful if there are several years between the children.
Disc games or digital download
Today, you can get the games into the console in two ways, either via a physical disc or via digital download. The advantage of a physical disc is that it is possible to sell the game itself second-hand if you wish and it is possible to take the game to someone else’s console.
The advantage of digital download is that it is easy to avoid finding a disc and in addition there is no risk of losing the game.
Why are we talking about this? Well, this can be good to know as some game consoles today are completely digital and without disc readers , which means that they can be smaller and cheaper.
Do the child’s friends have a game console?
Playing with your friends online makes gaming even more fun, to be able to do that you need to use the same console in most cases. So if some friends, for example, play on a PlayStation console and the child wants to play with them, you need to buy a PlayStation console for it to work.
Therefore, it is a good idea to check out what the children’s friends may have for the game console at home .
What types of games are there?
What types of games does the child or children like? Many of today’s games are available for all game consoles, some examples of which are popular games such as Fifa, Minecraft and Fortnite.
However, some games are exclusive to a single console, some examples:
- PlayStation: Spiderman, Gran Turismo, The Last of Us
- Xbox: Halo, Forza Motorsport, Sea of Thieves (also PC)
- Nintendo: Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon
Should you want to play any of the above games, in other words you need to buy the specific console they can be played on simply.
Game console price
Price is of course a big factor when it comes to game consoles, the newest ones cost a penny and for children we think it’s a good idea to look at a generation earlier than the very latest . PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have been released quite recently and their prices are currently high. Their predecessors PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have already dropped in price and will be lowered even more.
On the other hand, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are future -proof for a long time to come and you do not have to think about buying a new game console for a long time. So it is a trade-off of course based on your budget.
Motion controls
There are motion controls such as Nintendo Joy-Cons and PlayStation Move Controllers. Xbox lacks this type of control.
Motion controls are a fun way to play as they include both fun and exercise. They can, for example, be used for different adventure games where you need to do different missions by e.g. open or saw something. Furthermore, they can also be used for dance or sports games such as boxing and tennis.
With that said, we take and jump down to our best in the test!
Best game console for children 2022
1. Nintendo Switch
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: Up to eight
- Motion controls: Yes, included
- Physical or digital games: Both
Nintendo Switch is the perfect game console for children because it is easy to use and can both be connected to a TV and taken anywhere as a handheld console .
Furthermore, Nintendo has a large selection of games that are suitable and specially designed for children , such as. Splatoon, Pokemon and lots of different types of Super Mario games.
With the Nintendo Switch, a child can play by themselves and have fun, but it is also easy to include friends , siblings or the whole family thanks to the fact that many games have multiplayer modes. The included Joy-Con controls have a built-in motion sensor , so they can be used for dance, sports and other types of movement games.
Nintendo Switch also has a parental control via an app where you can, among other things, see which games the child is playing and set time limits for how long you can play.
Recently, an OLED version of the Nintendo Switch has also been released. An overall updated version of the Nintendo Switch with above all a better screen, but at a slightly higher price.
2. Xbox Series S
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: Up to eight
- Motion controls: No.
- Physical or digital games: Digital
Xbox Series S is an affordable and very competent game console , which can be used to advantage by both adults and children. The unique thing about this console is that there is no disc reader, but the games are downloaded digitally . It contributes to a lower price while the Xbox has been able to make this model its smallest console ever, perfect if you are short on space or want a discreet game console .
This powerful machine belongs to the latest generation of game consoles and delivers high-resolution graphics and realistic gaming experience , which means that it also runs new and demanding games without slowing down or lagging.
For the Xbox, there are lots of exciting game titles that appeal to gamers of all ages , as well as many family-friendly games where you as parents can play games with your children.
With the Xbox Parental Control app , you as a parent can control and manage child accounts on the Xbox. This is perfect for parents who want to maintain a balance between screen time and other activities such as homework, reading or physical play.
3. PlayStation 4 Slim
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: Up to four
- Motion controls: Yes, purchased separately
- Physical or digital games: Both
PlayStation 4 is a fantastic game console that can be used by both younger and older children and that can give them entertainment for hours. PlayStation has a wide range of game titles with everything from fun and educational games for the youngest to cool and more advanced games for the older ones .
The wireless controllers for the PS4 are easily charged via a cable . You can also choose to buy a charging station where the controls can stand neatly and neatly every time you stop playing, then you also know where the controls are for the next time.
With the PlayStation app for parental control , you can set time limits for how long your child can play on the console every day or week, as well as set game limits based on rating categories. As a parent, you can also access a detailed activity log that shows exactly what has been downloaded.
4. Nintendo Switch Lite
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: One
- Motion controls: No.
- Physical or digital games: Both
Switch Lite is the little sibling to Switch and Switch OLED and a cheap and affordable alternative to its big siblings. The big difference is that this is a pure handheld game console that can not be connected to a TV, but you play in the same way as a classic Gameboy.
The size of the screen is slightly smaller and the weight of the console is a little lighter than the original, so that the child can easily carry it everywhere .
For Switch Lite, you can play all the Nintendo Switch games that support handheld mode , which is a big part of the regular offering.
Switch Lite also has parental control so that you can limit the usage times, set special time limits or block certain types of games.
5. PlayStation 5
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: Up to four
- Motion controls: Yes, purchased separately
- Physical or digital games: Both
The very latest console from Sony is PlayStation 5 and it is a brutally good game console for all ages , but comes with a relatively high price tag. It is not the console we would recommend for the very youngest, but it is a perfect choice for older children and teenagers .
PS5 is a future-proof game console that will be able to handle all games launched in the coming years. It delivers great graphics up to 8K resolution and a top-notch gaming experience.
The console is available in a standard version and a Digital Edition , the standard version comes with a Blu-ray reader for disc games, while the Digital Edition lacks a disc reader has received a cheaper price.
Sony’s PlayStation consoles are known for their extensive game catalog and many fun exclusive titles. In addition, there is a large selection of child-friendly games for younger gamers.
Just like the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 5 has solid parental controls. It is possible to set different time limits and get a log of everything that has been downloaded . All games on PlayStation are also age-rated so that you as a parent can be sure that the children only have access to appropriate content.
6. Xbox Series X
- Parental control: Yes
- Number of players: Up to eight
- Motion controls: No.
- Physical or digital games: Both
Xbox Series X the latest gaming console from Microsoft and the best console they have to offer today. This is the most powerful of all consoles on the market and has a huge range of games for big and small gamers.
With Xbox Series X, it is possible to play games in up to an incredible 8K resolution , which will provide a fantastic gaming experience for children. In addition, it can deliver up to 120 FPS, which is unusual for a console and means that the image becomes very compliant .
Furthermore, the console also has different parental controls and a setting that creates a child-specific area, where children can play only suitable games without having to worry as parents.
Summary of best game console for children 2022
There are many great game consoles for kids to choose from today. Each of the consoles we have ranked and reviewed in this article has its different benefits and is suitable for different children.
Do you want to buy a flexible console for your child that can be taken with you? Then it’s Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite you should check out. Do you want to buy a console with fantastic graphics and a large selection of games? Then Xbox and PlayStation models are perfect choices.
