Gaming has moved on from being thought of as a waste of time to an actual interest pursued by children these days. A lot of parents look into the idea of gifting their charges gaming consoles once they reach a certain age, if only to enable them to keep up with their peers. With innovation in gaming technology occurring in leaps and bounds, it might make it difficult for parents to choose the right gaming console. One needs to look for one that will have the best features, will be appropriate for a child, will appeal to them, and will also be a learning experience for him or her.

Here is a list of gaming consoles that can be gifted to children fond of gaming:

1. Nintendo Switch™
Nintendo is arguably the best option for family-friendly games. It can act as a stationary console or a portable device and can be plugged into a TV or used a console with two inbuilt controllers and a touchscreen. This can determine how the degree of liberty that a child can get (being plugged into the TV makes it easier for a parent to supervise than when it is portable). Many Nintendo games cater specifically to children of an impressionable age such as Mario Super Bros Party, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, Mario Tennis Aces. Nintendo does have games for its mature audience. But the parental controls policy of the company is comprehensive enough to leave it up to parental discretion.

2. Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PS3™
The consoles are especially useful when a household consists of a range of children of different ages. There are newer and advanced models such as the Xbox One and the PS4™. However, the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3™ are recommended is because these consoles are user-friendly for kids and can be used by teenagers as well. An added advantage is that these consoles come at discounted rates and it would not be much of a loss if the consoles aren’t utilized to their fullest, such as in case a child is not interested in gaming anymore. If the child or children do wish to explore more, an investment can be made on the advanced consoles later on if needed. Children in love with gaming can graduate to games like Lego Dimensions and FIFA 18, 19 and 20. Mature teenagers will have options such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty® Black Ops 3.

3. Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox One S, Sony PlayStation® 4 and Sony PlayStation® Pro
A majority of the games in these features are for serious and passionate gamers. Most of these consoles also come with VR headsets making the gaming experience even better. The PS4 ™ and PS4 ™ Pro have incredible features that make the gaming experience much more life-like for children and adults like. PlayStation®VR features used by families can be a thrilling adventure. The Xbox One S is highly recommended because it can play many Xbox 360 titles. In the ‘All Digital’ edition of the console, all the games can be stored on the cloud. These consoles have high performance standards and are very popular amongst the gaming community. Most of the games that are associated with these consoles are mature. Therefore, caution must be exercised while buying games for such consoles.