Playstations and all that stuff - advice for complete novice

[Redlight]

My son appears to be the only boy in his class that doesn't have access to on-line video games. At the age of 11, that's a big thing.  So, despite my many misgivings, I am succumbing and plan to commission Santa (in whom he still pretends to believe) to address this shortcoming in his social standing. 

Once installed, usage will be monitored, so I've no fear that within three days he will be playing High School Massacre or whatever other hideously violent games are out there.  The current fad is Fortnite, which I have seen and can live with, even though I suspect it is addictive and destroys brain cells.  No doubt by Xmas something new will have taken over.

But where do I start? As one who last played a video game when Space Invaders was the height of sophistication, I feel completely adrift.  I could go into somewhere like Currys and be sold to by a fast-fingered 19 year old who uses only one word in three that I can understand (that word probably being "like") but I think I may get better and more comprehensible advice here.

So, what do I need?  I have a TV with a big enough screen for the visuals to look OK.  I know I need a Playstation console and I've heard that the PS4 is the one to get, but there seem to be several models. Is it a case of most expensive is best?   And then do I need any other special equipment or cables?  Given that he'll be using the TV in our family room, I guess some headphones would be sensible.  And do people have any tips on limiting use or filtering out inappropriate material?


Any advice from experienced gamers (or their parents) would be greatly appreciated.

[Kim]

I know very little about online gaming, but I do know that it tends to involve downloading massive updates with tedious regularity.  Make sure your internet tariff is up to it.

[trekker12]

The last PlayStation I bought was a 2nd hand PS2 so I'm also not very current. However a quick bit of googling gives the following: -

There are 2* main consoles. The PS4 and the PS4 Pro. The biggest difference seems to be in the TV output. PS4 can display fine on a standard HD television and will probably look pretty good. This will be a 1080P television.

The PS4 pro can operate on the newer Ultra HD televisions and will therefore look considerably better. it will still work on a standard HDTV but will operate in that mode so you won't get everything you paid for. Simply put if your TV is a few years old then save your money and buy an extra game.

I read elsewhere whilst buying TVs that there is so little difference between standard HDMI and expensive HDMI (as the standard has to be of a certain quality) so don't get sold expensive cables.

*There's also the PS4 Slim which I think is a smaller version of the original PS4 and has the same performance.

[Hot Flatus]

I have a PS4. Set up your own password protected account. Then set up a family account for your son. You can then set a time allowance per day. It's very easy to do.

My children are allowed 30 minutes only, and only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[pcolbeck]

Sony PS4 v Microsoft Xbox One

For the most part they are on a par it really comes down to if there is a particular game all his mates play and its not available for one platform. A lot of games are available on all platforms but some are available only on one or the other. You need to surreptitiously question him about this.

[citoyen]

The PlayStation is good for other things beyond gaming - eg we use our PS3 for accessing Netflix.

How old is your TV? As long as it has HDMI ports, that's fine. Check a cable is included in the box, otherwise they cost around a tenner.

The PS4 also needs internet access - partly for the regular updates, as Kim says, but also for online gaming (which is an important part of the experience for young people, so if you deny your son that, you might as well not bother getting him a PlayStation). The PS4 can talk to your home internet wirelessly, as long as it's within range. Ours isn't so we connect it via an ethernet cable linked to a powerline adapter that's plugged in behind the telly.

Also check how many controllers come in the box - if it's only one, it's worth investing in a second for when he has his mates round and wants to play two-player games. If you do, get an official Sony controller - there are loads of cheap 'compatible'/knock-off controllers available online but check the reviews - they tend to break down very easily.

Storage used to be an issue with older PlayStations but not any more - the most basic model comes with 500GB which is more than enough for the vast majority of users. You can get a 1TB version but you don't need it.

You don't need the extra performance of the Pro either, and I wouldn't bother even if you do have a 4K TV - higher frame rates are unlikely to be high up your son's list of priorities. The games are exactly the same in all other respects.

The PS4 Slim is just a more compact version of the standard PS4 'Fat', which is being phased out. This means you might get a good deal on the PS4 Fat if you shop around.

[tonycollinet]

Agreed - playstation 4 v xbox 1 (S or x depending on budget). Main decision as mentioned above - which one are most of his mates using. It's not just about game availability, but also connectivity to online servers.

If you know parents of kids in his age group, or even just meet them in the playground,  you could ask around.


And don't worry too much about him spending too much time gaming and not enough time out with his mates. I was concerned about how much time No 1 son was in his room playing games until I listened in a few times, and realised he was meeting up with his friends, and interacting with them in the games just as he would out in the park. It might limit sunlight exposure, but it doesn't harm social interaction IMO. (Note - headset is required for this - and important also for playing with friends)

[Hot Flatus]

It is a problem when it becomes the sole focus of child's life to the exclusion of family life, school work, sleep, exercise, social life etc.  Whether or not certain children are predisposed to this I don't know, but it is a thing.Much as with television and younger children.

[djrikki]

This has been a "thing" for many years when geeks were not cool. I grow up in the 80s and 90s so Commodore was my addiction; and although I had a brief spell of addiction to online gaming in the 00s it hasn't been done any long term damage.  Most kids grow out of "silly little game".

The current disease affecting all adults is scroll addiction - I certainly hold my hand up on that one!

[Hot Flatus]

Heard of the hikikomori?

[rafletcher]

Heard of the hikikomori?

But Japanese culture and society are a fair way removed from ours. And indeed most others apart perhaps for the Korean.

[Hot Flatus]

Yes, certainly. But it is an interesting phenomenon.

[Ham]

Can't help you at all (my gaming phase ended around about the time of Commander Keen) just thought I'd mention that I managed to increase Miss Ham's social standing in primary school by having a network and setting up multi player game sessions for her and her friends. Sometimes Nerd is Good. (Miss Ham never had anything verging on a gaming addiction or excess)

[mrcharly-YHT]

Also check how many controllers come in the box - if it's only one, it's worth investing in a second for when he has his mates round and wants to play two-player games. wants to totally wreck his Mum/Dad in a two-player game.

FTFY

Don't underestimate the bonding that can take place while killing nazi zombies together.

[Kim]

And don't worry too much about him spending too much time gaming and not enough time out with his mates. I was concerned about how much time No 1 son was in his room playing games until I listened in a few times, and realised he was meeting up with his friends, and interacting with them in the games just as he would out in the park. It might limit sunlight exposure, but it doesn't harm social interaction IMO. (Note - headset is required for this - and important also for playing with friends)

Yes.  Much like parks, popular games can function as a sort of misogyny/homophobia club for 12 year old boys.  This can ruin them if you have the audacity to want to play while not being a 12 year old boy.  The usual strategy is for people who sound female or have the wrong accent to simply not use the headsets, which puts them at a disadvantage in the game, or to gravitate to different types of game that attract more mature players.

More seriously, be aware of some of the toxic right-wing politics that has grown up around a vocal subset of gamer culture (and in the last few years, spread to mainstream politics), with a view to nipping it in the bud before it gets taken seriously.  He's bound to come across it at some point.  The problem isn't the video games, and blaming games for this phenomenon is shortsighted and liable to backfire.  Youtube's recommendation algorithms certainly don't help, thobut.

[citoyen]

As with any aspect of parenting, it pays to be hands-on and provide guidance/direction where required, and don't allow the PlayStation to become a proxy for showing an interest.

Being overly restrictive isn't necessarily the answer. I let my son play GTA and he hasn't turned into a violent, misogynist gangster. Ban your kids from this kind of thing and they'll only become furtive and find other ways to entertain themselves behind your back (back in my day, it was glue sniffing and teenage pregnancy, which both seem pretty quaint when you look at the alternatives on offer now).

[Gattopardo]

There is also a nintendo switch.

[Gattopardo]

Also check how many controllers come in the box - if it's only one, it's worth investing in a second for when he has his mates round and wants to play two-player games. wants to totally wreck his Mum/Dad in a two-player game.

FTFY

Don't underestimate the bonding that can take place while killing nazi zombies together.

I know a few people who have met their partners on world or warcraft.

[Hot Flatus]

Let's face it, where else would they?

[Gattopardo]

And don't worry too much about him spending too much time gaming and not enough time out with his mates. I was concerned about how much time No 1 son was in his room playing games until I listened in a few times, and realised he was meeting up with his friends, and interacting with them in the games just as he would out in the park. It might limit sunlight exposure, but it doesn't harm social interaction IMO. (Note - headset is required for this - and important also for playing with friends)

Yes.  Much like parks, popular games can function as a sort of misogyny/homophobia club for 12 year old boys.  This can ruin them if you have the audacity to want to play while not being a 12 year old boy.  The usual strategy is for people who sound female or have the wrong accent to simply not use the headsets, which puts them at a disadvantage in the game, or to gravitate to different types of game that attract more mature players.

More seriously, be aware of some of the toxic right-wing politics that has grown up around a vocal subset of gamer culture (and in the last few years, spread to mainstream politics), with a view to nipping it in the bud before it gets taken seriously.  He's bound to come across it at some point.  The problem isn't the video games, and blaming games for this phenomenon is shortsighted and liable to backfire.  Youtube's recommendation algorithms certainly don't help, thobut.

I didn't know or remember the right wing stuff.  But then I was never that social....

[Gattopardo]

Let's face it, where else would they?

Internet dating has done me well, as well as being a suave drunk.

[Kim]

And don't worry too much about him spending too much time gaming and not enough time out with his mates. I was concerned about how much time No 1 son was in his room playing games until I listened in a few times, and realised he was meeting up with his friends, and interacting with them in the games just as he would out in the park. It might limit sunlight exposure, but it doesn't harm social interaction IMO. (Note - headset is required for this - and important also for playing with friends)

Yes.  Much like parks, popular games can function as a sort of misogyny/homophobia club for 12 year old boys.  This can ruin them if you have the audacity to want to play while not being a 12 year old boy.  The usual strategy is for people who sound female or have the wrong accent to simply not use the headsets, which puts them at a disadvantage in the game, or to gravitate to different types of game that attract more mature players.

More seriously, be aware of some of the toxic right-wing politics that has grown up around a vocal subset of gamer culture (and in the last few years, spread to mainstream politics), with a view to nipping it in the bud before it gets taken seriously.  He's bound to come across it at some point.  The problem isn't the video games, and blaming games for this phenomenon is shortsighted and liable to backfire.  Youtube's recommendation algorithms certainly don't help, thobut.

I didn't know or remember the right wing stuff.  But then I was never that social....

I'm not a gamer, so my experience is limited to getting Gamergate type crap recommended by Youtube after watching gaming-related videos.  I have gamer friends who avoid certain classes of online games (typically the popular shooty ones) or use specific servers, because of misogyny and homophobia.  I've no idea how prevalent it actually is, but it's clearly A Thing.  Hence my suggestion to be aware of it.

[tonycollinet]

And don't worry too much about him spending too much time gaming and not enough time out with his mates. I was concerned about how much time No 1 son was in his room playing games until I listened in a few times, and realised he was meeting up with his friends, and interacting with them in the games just as he would out in the park. It might limit sunlight exposure, but it doesn't harm social interaction IMO. (Note - headset is required for this - and important also for playing with friends)

Yes.  Much like parks, popular games can function as a sort of misogyny/homophobia club for 12 year old boys.  This can ruin them if you have the audacity to want to play while not being a 12 year old boy.  The usual strategy is for people who sound female or have the wrong accent to simply not use the headsets, which puts them at a disadvantage in the game, or to gravitate to different types of game that attract more mature players.

More seriously, be aware of some of the toxic right-wing politics that has grown up around a vocal subset of gamer culture (and in the last few years, spread to mainstream politics), with a view to nipping it in the bud before it gets taken seriously.  He's bound to come across it at some point.  The problem isn't the video games, and blaming games for this phenomenon is shortsighted and liable to backfire.  Youtube's recommendation algorithms certainly don't help, thobut.

True - and I'm sure it can be an issue. However No 1 Son is pretty much as liberal lefty as I am, and definitely neither misogynistic, nor homophobic - so it obviously hasn't been for him.

[Kim]

True - and I'm sure it can be an issue. However No 1 Son is pretty much as liberal lefty as I am, and definitely neither misogynistic, nor homophobic - so it obviously hasn't been for him.