PS4 Pro<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n PlayStation VR<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n PlayStation 3<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n PlayStation Classic<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Xbox One<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Xbox One X<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Xbox 360<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Nintendo Switch<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n Nintendo 3DS<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n SNES\/NES Classic<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n PlayStation is arguably the most iconic brand in gaming. First launched in 1994, Sony\u2019s console captured hearts and minds with its mix of incredible 3D graphics (well, incredible for the time\u201d\u00a6) and immersive games, as well as some very clever marketing.<\/p>\n Sony are now on the 4th iteration of the PlayStation, the cleverly named PS4, although a 5th edition (no prizes for guessing its name\u201d\u00a6) is apparently in the works.<\/p>\n Norbert Levajsics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The PlayStation 4 is the best-selling games console of the current generation<\/strong> and is best summarised by its tagline: \u201d\u02dcfor the players\u2019.<\/p>\n This is a console for serious gamers, with a strong line-up of exclusive games<\/strong> (i.e. games you can\u2019t play on other consoles) like Spider-Man and hugely popular titles like Fortnite<\/em>, FIFA<\/em> and Rocket League<\/em>. —<\/p>\n It really depends. The PS4\u2019s games library is hugely diverse and there are plenty of family-friendly titles available<\/strong>, including the massively popular Fortnite<\/em> (which is free to download) and Minecraft<\/em>.<\/p>\n Of course, there are plenty of games inappropriate for children too. Fortunately, you can set up parental controls to limit the games your kids can play by their PEGI rating<\/strong> (essentially the gaming version of the BBFC stickers on films). You can also use parental controls to prevent your kids from purchasing anything, so you don\u2019t need to worry about the kids spending your life-savings on Fortnite<\/em> costumes!<\/p>\n As with all consoles, a little active parenting is required as well. Always refer to the PEGI rating when buying a game<\/strong>; anything over 16 is a definite no-go. Make sure to regularly check in on your kids when they\u2019re playing<\/strong> too, or go one better and express an interest in what they\u2019re playing. Maybe even join in!<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The PS4 is available in two capacities: 500GB and 1TB<\/strong>. Both sound like a lot of storage, but these days you have to install a game onto the hard drive before you can play it – and games are getting bigger by the year. To give you some indication, Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em> requires a whopping 100GB of space to install – that\u2019s a 5th of the 500GB option.<\/p>\n The price difference between the two storage options isn\u2019t that great and it\u2019s even cheaper if you buy refurbished<\/strong>. You can always delete data from the hard drive if it\u2019s getting full too (you\u2019ll have to reinstall anything you delete though).<\/p>\n The standard PS4 bundle comes with a single controller, so you\u2019ll need to buy another if you have more than one child. The official DualShock 4 controller costs around \u00a345<\/strong> but you can pick up a third-party version for as little as \u00a320.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also have to pay extra to play online<\/strong>, which is required for games like Fortnite<\/em>. PS Plus costs \u00a349.99 for the year, \u00a319.99 for 3 months or \u00a36.99 per month. The year-long subscription makes the most sense financially, offered a saving of just under \u00a334 compared to the monthly payment option. You get a 14 day trial to decide whether or not it\u2019s for you too.<\/p>\n The PS4 Pro is a super-charged version of the PS4<\/strong>, boasting double the power and the ability to deliver games in glorious 4K.<\/p>\n However, that extra power comes at a price. It costs around \u00a3100 more than a standard PS4<\/strong> and you\u2019ll also need a 4K TV to get the most out of it.<\/p>\n To top it off, there aren\u2019t even any exclusive PS4 Pro games<\/strong>. It plays exactly the same titles as the PS4, although some of them feature an \u201d\u02dcenhanced mode\u2019 that boosts their performance and provides 4K quality graphics. Non-enhanced mode games get a boost to 1080p.<\/p>\n In short, the PS4 Pro is for hardcore gamers with a deep appreciation of graphics only<\/strong>. If your child doesn\u2019t fit into that bracket (which they probably don\u2019t, even if they claim otherwise!), save a few quid and buy a standard PS4 instead.<\/p>\n A few years ago, virtual reality was considered \u201d\u02dcthe next big thing\u2019 thanks to a series of relatively cheap VR products hitting the market: the Oculus Rift, HTC Vibe and, of course, PlayStation VR.<\/p>\n The first thing to note is that the PlayStation VR isn\u2019t a standalone console<\/strong>. It links up with your PS4 and requires a PlayStation camera too. All in all, you\u2019ll probably pay around \u00a3250 – \u00a3300 on top of the price of the console for the privilege of VR gaming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So, is it worth it? The jury is still out. While impressive, PlayStation VR hasn\u2019t caught on as much as some expected. One of the main reasons for this is a lack of titles; Skyrim VR<\/em> remains one of the highlights, even though the game it\u2019s based on came out 6 years ago. Many games have a novelty vibe to them, which is great on Christmas morning but arguably not worth the extra expense.<\/p>\n It should also be noted that a lot of people experience motion sickness while playing virtual reality games, so it\u2019s probably best not to use PlayStation VR after pigging out on a box of Celebrations!<\/p>\n As the name suggests, the PlayStation 3 is the PS4\u2019s older brother.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t play PS4 games on it but the PS3 has a huge library of great games<\/strong> and you can play PS2 and 1 games through PS Plus too.<\/p>\n Serious gamers might be a bit disappointed to open a PS3 on Christmas morning but it\u2019s a fantastic budget option if your children aren\u2019t that worried about playing the latest games. You can pick up a refurbished PS3 from the musicMagpie Store for as little as \u00a359.99<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n To make matters more confusing, Sony are launching another console in time for Christmas: the PlayStation Classic.<\/p>\n The PlayStation Classic is a tiny version of the original PlayStation<\/strong>, first released in 1994. It features 20 built-in games, including Final Fantasy VII<\/em>, Tekken 3<\/em> and Ridge Racer Type 4<\/em>, and comes with two wired controllers plus a virtual memory card.<\/p>\n The PlayStation Classic will retail for just \u00a389.99<\/strong>, although your kids probably won\u2019t be interested in experiencing the blocky graphics so many of us thought were groundbreaking at the time. It’s not bad if you fancy a blast from the past though!<\/p>\n Microsoft, once best known for Windows and Bill Gates, joined the gaming market in 2001 with the launch of the Xbox. Since then, Xbox has become a major gaming brand and outsold Sony for a number of years.<\/p>\n The Xbox One is Microsoft\u2019s main console<\/strong> and shares many of the same titles as the PlayStation 4. In fact, there aren\u2019t that many differences between the two; the PS4 arguably has better exclusives but, gaming-wise, there\u2019s not much to choose between them.<\/p>\n There are two main reasons to buy an Xbox One over a PS4. The first is the Xbox One\u2019s backwards compatibility<\/strong>, which allows you to play a huge selection of Xbox 360 and Xbox games. If you already have a load of Xbox 360 games at home, the Xbox One is the obvious choice.<\/p>\n The other is if your friends (or your children\u2019s friends) all own Xbox\u2019s too<\/strong>. While we\u2019re edging ever closer to cross-platform online play (most notably with Fortnite<\/em><\/a>), most games only allow you to play against people on the same console. Ask your kids what their friends are playing before taking the plunge!<\/p>\n You might notice that there are three Xbox One models on the market at the moment too: the Xbox One, the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X (more on that later). The Xbox One S is essentially a smaller version of the Xbox One and performs exactly the same<\/strong>, so don\u2019t worry too much about buying one over the other.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Like the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One games library has a broad range of family-friendly and not-so-family-friendly titles<\/strong>. You can restrict access to these titles in the console\u2019s settings, although a degree of vigilance and monitoring (again, this is a great excuse to get some gaming time in!) is recommended as well.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The Xbox One S is available in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB and 2TB<\/strong>. Brand new prices vary from between \u00a3170 for the 500GB console up to around \u00a3350 for the 2TB model. Although game file sizes are getting bigger, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll need 2TB unless you play a lot of games. 500GB or 1TB should be sufficient.<\/p>\n If you want to save a few quid, we\u2019d highly recommend buying a refurbished console instead<\/strong>. Prices are much cheaper and, to be honest, it\u2019s unlikely your kids will be able to tell the difference. Check out our range of refurbished consoles here.<\/a><\/p>\n The standard Xbox One bundle includes a single controller, although there are two controller bundles available. The official Xbox One controller costs \u00a349.99 new<\/strong>, with a third-party wired controller retailing for around \u00a324.99.<\/p>\n As with the PS4, you\u2019ll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online<\/strong>. One year costs \u00a339.99 while a month costs \u00a35.99, although you get the option to download at least three free games every month included in the price.<\/p>\n Microsoft also operate a streaming service called Xbox Game Pass<\/a>, which allows you to play a huge range of games (including some new titles). At \u00a37.99 per month, this is a cost-effective way to play different games on a regular basis.<\/p>\n Marketed as the world\u2019s most powerful console, Microsoft claim the Xbox One X packs 40% more power than any other console<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a very impressive claim and one you might assume means you should buy the X over the Xbox One. However, like the PS4 Pro, this is for hardcore gamers only.<\/p>\n A good way to tell if this includes you is to read the following sentence and see how much of it makes sense: the Xbox One X offers immersive 4K gaming and includes an 8-core Custom AMD CPU clocked at 2.3GHz and a 6 teraflop FPU for enhanced AI, real world detail and smoother interactions.<\/p>\n Get all that? Then buy an Xbox One X (and please tell us what a teraflop is). Otherwise, you might be safer buying the standard Xbox One. It has the same games, albeit ever-so-slightly less pretty.<\/p>\n Xbox naming conventions are one of life\u2019s great mysteries. The Xbox 360 is actually the predecessor to the Xbox One<\/strong>, despite the name suggesting it\u2019s actually the 360th version of the Xbox line. We\u2019re not entirely sure what was going through Microsoft\u2019s heads but hey, it\u2019s their consoles and they can call them what they want.<\/p>\n All you need to know is that the only reason to buy an Xbox 360 these days is the price as most of its games are playable on the Xbox One. A refurbished Xbox 360 costs just over \u00a340<\/strong><\/a>, which is an absolute bargain if you\u2019re not bothered about playing the latest games.<\/p>\n First established in 1889 as a playing card company, Nintendo achieved global fame with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s (with a little help from a certain Italian plumber).<\/p>\n Nintendo largely cater for a family audience with games like Super Mario,<\/em> Mario Kart<\/em> and The Legend of Zelda<\/em>, although the vast majority of their output receives a lot of critical acclaim too.<\/p>\n Jos\u00c3\u00a9 Alejandro Cuffia<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The Nintendo Switch is a combination of a home console and a handheld system. In simple terms, you can play it at home and on the move.<\/p>\n The console itself is a tablet-like device with a 6.2 inch screen. On each side is a detachable controller; these can either be used separately or together to form a single controller. You can play it wherever you like, provided you have enough battery.<\/p>\n At home, the console sits in a dock connected to your TV. This transfers the action from the tablet screen to your TV screen with a slight enhancement in graphics.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Very. The Switch\u2019s games library is heavy on family-friendly titles, including the brilliant Super Mario Odyssey<\/em> and Splatoon 2<\/em>. Popular games like Fortnite<\/em> and Minecraft<\/em> are available too. The Switch\u2019s strong focus on family extends to the parental controls, which let you restrict games by age rating and manage purchases on the eShop. You can even download an app to manage controls on the go.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The Nintendo Switch costs \u00a3279 to buy new without games. With games, the cost is more likely to be around \u00a3330.<\/p>\n That makes the Switch the most expensive of the newer consoles upfront (Xbox One X and PS4 Pro excluded) but you get two controllers included and the fact its portable arguably adds more value.<\/p>\n Just be aware that buying extra Joy-Cons will set you back a hefty \u00a364.99, although as each one can operate separately it\u2019s more like \u00a332.49 per controller.<\/p>\n Nintendo\u2019s Online service is much cheaper too, costing just \u00a317.99 for the year. You don\u2019t get any free games bundled into that price as you do with Xbox Live Gold though.<\/p>\n The Nintendo 3DS is one of the best selling handheld consoles of all time and Nintendo plan to continue supporting it for at least another year, despite it first hitting shelves in 2011.<\/p>\n The iconic DS design consists of two screens, the upper of which is used to display gameplay while the lower displays other interactive elements. The 3DS can also display games in 3D without glasses, although Nintendo advise against children under 6 using this feature.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n It\u2019s possibly the most kid-friendly of all the consoles. It has a vast range of family-oriented titles and the simple controls make it super easy to use.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The 3DS is a little long in the tooth but games are still being produced for it and, crucially, it\u2019s pretty cheap. Depending on which model you buy, you can pick up a refurbished 3DS for as little as \u00a364.99<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The NES and SNES Classic are downsized versions of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo, bundled with a collection of the best games.<\/p>\n Unless your children love retro gaming, both are unlikely to be on their Christmas lists. They\u2019re well worth checking out if you want to relive the past though.<\/p>\n Check out the huge range of refurbished games consoles<\/a> on the musicMagpie Store, all at amazing prices and with a 12 month warranty! Plus, you can recycle games<\/a> and old consoles with us for instant cash!<\/p>\n
\nPlayStation<\/h2>\n
—<\/h3>\n
PS4<\/h3>\n
![\"PS4\"](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/PS4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLike most modern consoles, the PS4 has a huge array of online features<\/strong>, including multiplayer gaming, streaming via Netflix, Sky and others, and a store selling game and movie downloads.<\/p>\nHow kid-friendly is the PS4?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How much does the PS4 cost?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
—<\/h3>\n
PS4 Pro<\/h3>\n
![\"PS4](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ps4-pro.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n—<\/h3>\n
PlayStation VR<\/h3>\n
![\"PS](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ps-vr.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n—<\/h3>\n
PlayStation 3<\/h3>\n
![\"PS3\"](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ps3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n—<\/h3>\n
PlayStation Classic<\/h3>\n
![\"PlayStation](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/ps-classic.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nXbox<\/h2>\n
—<\/h3>\n
Xbox One \/ Xbox One S<\/h3>\n
![\"Xbox](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Xbox-One-S.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow kid-friendly is the Xbox One?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How much does the Xbox One cost?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
—<\/h3>\n
Xbox One X<\/h3>\n
![\"Xbox](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/xbox-one-x.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n—<\/h3>\n
Xbox 360<\/h3>\n
![\"Xbox](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/xbox-360.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNintendo<\/h2>\n
—<\/h3>\n
Nintendo Switch<\/h3>\n
![\"Nintendo](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/nintendo-switch.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow kid-friendly is the Nintendo Switch?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nThe detachable controllers (called Joy-Cons) make the Switch ideal for family gaming, and the controllers are small enough for children of most ages to hold.<\/p>\nHow much does the Nintendo Switch cost?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
—<\/h3>\n
Nintendo 3DS<\/h3>\n
![\"Nintendo](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/nintendo-3ds.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow kid-friendly is the Nintendo 3DS?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
How much does the Nintendo 3DS cost?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
—<\/h3>\n
SNES \/ NES Classic<\/h3>\n
![\"SNES](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/snes-classic.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
![\"SHOP](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/SHOP-NOW.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"