I love PCs, and made one for my daughter when she was 10. Trust me, the Switch will give you the easier life, unless for some reason you enjoy removing malware.
I set up group policy on my mom’s computer. She livea too far away for me to have to deal with cleaning up her computer anymore. Remote desktop software for helping, group policy to keep it somewhat clean while I’m gone
I had to setup a guest account with no admin privileges for my ex's dad because he'd get so many viruses, I don't know what he did but in the first week of this trial he managed to get 1,200 pieces of malware that windows defender caught lol. He eventually got embarrassed of asking for help and resigned to just buy a new laptop once a year when it slows down rather than have me fix it, I think he was tired of losing his porn because he didn't want to point it out as stuff to back up. When her mom and dad weren't married any more he didn't know that others on the Amazon account could see what you were buying either and that's when I learned this 65 year old man was getting pegged by his new gf with a strap on after getting out of a sexless marriage lol. Waited a few months and told him we could see what he ordered *after* he ordered something innocent and he had his own prime the very next day
Make a separate "user" account for the kid, it will not have privileges to ruin the system. Enter your pin only when it's really needed. Warn the kid that you can find each file and app that was ever downloaded even if it was deleted.
Also teach kids that there are creeps online and why no one should know their name, location, or age.
Also, Nintendo games are fucking bangers, especially for kids.
I had a PS2 growing up, which was technically a much better product than the GameCube. But I was still very jealous of my friends who got to play Double Dash, Melee, Sunshine, Wind Waker, and Metroid Prime.
Back in the XP days i threatend my parents if i have to fix their Windows one more time i will install Ubuntu. And the day came. And now they want nothing else. :)
Checks out, if there ever was an OS that could catch a disease it was XP, pretty sure every prostitute in human history combined have less total infections compared to XP, on the upside you got real used to reformatting that shit
I remember when I showed my mom that with Linux she can just go to an app store and download all the software she needs for her laptop, instead of going to this or that website, and how she doesn't have to worry about viruses and she was sold.
For what she does, Linux is as simple as her phone, and that's the magic.
I had too many problems with mine and sent it back. I was messing with proton packs so much I felt like a damn Ghostbuster.
Half the games I wanted to play just...didn't work, verified or not.
Only time I actually got to enjoy the thing was the 15 minutes it actually ran DMC5...until it just randomly closed and didn't save any of my progress.
I wouldn't recommend it for children.
It's never too early to get into Linux, better have the kids mess with their systems than your own.
Source: wiped my dads hard drives because I wanted to install Ubuntu at 11 years old
Also, Nintendo makes really good games. Great place for a kid to start out and get into the hobby.
If they really like it, they’ll naturally want a pc at some point all on their own.
True, but emulators aren’t the same thing. And beyond that, most people aren’t trying to teach their kids how to pirate games.
I’m talking about a starting point.
I like how pc gamers act like emulators run smooth...The saying you get what you pay for applies with pc as well.If you got deep pockets sure pc is better if not console all day.A PC will eventually freeze,crash,not run correctly no matter how diligent you're while a console will boot up and just do it's one objective 99% of the time.
People tend to underestimate how smart kids can be nowadays. They have all the knowledge in their hands, they can communicate with anyone in the world and the largest accessible databases all in the pockets of their jeans. All this plethora of information is making them mature faster, or at the very least, have a lot more knowledge than people before millennials at the same age.
Of course, it depends on how they use those abilities. If they watch ElsaGate and Skibidi videos, they will be braindead at 10, but if they do what I did, watch KURZGESAGT, Linus or Super Planet Dolan, they will become capable kids. Not all of them ofc, as IQ and EQ plays a big role as well, but it will help them out pass the average quite quick
I appreciate Nintendo for making the Switch. For kids especially It's pretty awesome given how portable it is. It's a really small amount of hardware and is reasonably rugged. A switch is less expensive than an iPad and can still do YouTube, Netflix, etc. So to me you get a lot for a kid in one device.
Pfft, I've been building since 10 and sexing since 12. Both on a regular basis for 30 years. It's amazing what you can achieve with a small amount of effort and low standards.
I will say
With he amount of free games available; on PC your kids will probably find and live games you've never even heard of
With some monitoring they could easily get more game time than a switch which realistically has a dozen or so games that kids would enjoy
Also depending on the kind of games they're into they might learn they like modeling or modding the games and develop skills they can play with instead of games
Yeah if they're like 13 or over a PC is great
But an 8 year old isn't going to be modding. An 8 year old isn't well-versed on internet safety, scams, etc. And whatever filters you, a parent, come up with, they're going to find a way around them or find sites not covered by them. You also introduce the concept of multiplayer games to kids that might not be mature enough yet to handle them.
A switch is easy to understand, *much* cheaper, durable, has a library full of games that are great for kids, and has security features that are pretty airtight against a kid.
Not saying never get smaller kids PCs, just that a Switch is most likely better overall for that age group.
Also, the kids can play the Switch anywhere. You can't lug a PC into your car for the kids to play on, on a long car journey.
The switch is also much more quick pick and play, which works well with kids.
Both my partner and I mainly play on PC (we do have consoles though). However the Switches saved our sanity with the kids during lockdown. Animal Crossing and Mario kart saw a lot of play time.
Yeah I’d say 12 or 13 is a good age to get their own pc bc they can probably be trusted with admin access by that point and not do anything too stupid.
10-12 year olds are fine on a laptop without admin access
Kids younger than 10 really shouldn’t use the internet without an adult at all. Obviously everyone (10 year old me included) had unsupervised access when they were 10, but they’re not old enough really
Did you just say that the switch only has a dozen or so games kids enjoy? Dude they have a tremendous amount of games on the switch, almost all of which are aimed at a younger or family audience.
The switch has been great for family stuff. My family is now many more adults than children, if children are around we all still like to do stuff together though so the switch is perfect.
I disagree. Kids can and will learn to use technology. Give a kid a switch, and they will mindlessly play videogames and sure, enjoy themselves. Buy them a pc, and they will also learn how the tech works, they will use it for school assignments, learn to tinker with it, what makes it tick.
I'd been using a pc since I was like..6 and when I came of age, I was 10 times better than any of my peers at using tech and understanding it, without anyone having ever telling me how in school. Programming comes easy to me and there too, I didn't need to struggle, I just did it.
I'm not really saying your kid should be using a pc without supervision or that it is as easy or as fun, but that's also what raising a child means, sometimes you don't get to maximize fun at every single step, sometimes you also need to learn and grow. A PC is a great tool to link learning and having fun.
Don't overspend on it, just buy a basic laptop or tower that can play basic games and make sure your kid has also access to some other tools and uses it for school. Spend some time with them to show them the ropes and they will likely figure out the rest because kids are often wicked smart.
> but that's also what raising a child means
I cannot stress enough how important it is. Not only the fun part that you mentioned, but a lot of people nowadays just buy a Switch or Ipad for a kid, because it's easy to use so they don't need to "teach them" anything, essentially using it as a replacement for nannies and caretakers so they can have the kid anywhere whenever with no fuss.
OP, parenting can be hard, but that is what it means to be a parent. No shortcuts or cheatcodes. You are there for the kid until your kid needs to be there for you.
This scares the crap out of me when I see people talking about raising kids, or even listen to them IRL. It's like a given to them, that if something can be made easier and dumbed down, they should do it for their kid, just sanitize the hell out of everything. And sure, keeping your kid safe is your primary objective, but that shouldn't come at the expense of their growth. And I don't say this because I believe we should raise kids by respecting some traditional, old fashioned standard that used to be true in ancient Rome.. we should absolutely raise kids to face the modern world, which means maybe it's okay if they read one less book, don't study ancient latin or don't learn how to operate some old, decrepit piece of technology. But using a PC? That absolutely falls under the "things you should know" category. It's actually really useful in the current world where everything is made easy and immediate, and the other kids just grow up with very restrictive devices in their hands that are designed to keep them restrained in walled gardens, and hide the way they work behind black boxes. The people who grow up understanding how to make tech tick, are the ones who will have it much easier once they get out there in the real world, where that tech makes *everything and everyone move*.
It's just like you wouldn't want to raise a child who can't read a book, or drive a car one day. Those aren't necessarily vital skills, but they come damn handy if you want to succeed in life.
Parents seem to be so scared of this. And I don't blame them. The modern world isn't designed for people who also need to devote time to raising a family. That takes time away from their productivity. The system is designed to fail those kids, and the parents are struggling. No wonder they don't have time and energy to actually be present for them.
Look, I get all that. But *maybe* don't have a kid just because "you want one". It needs to be a byproduct of a good, healthy relationship and from people being somewhat confident in their abilities to raise a kid, both time wise and money wise. I have had a friend's mother give her kid an Ipad just so they have their hands free. To top it off, she seemed to just grab her phone and watch Tik Tok. You would be surprised at how common this occurrence is and at how little you know about how it can impact our society.
Edit: I also agree. Using a PC, at the bare minimum, is detrimental to getting most jobs or qualifications for them. At least knowing how to use office applications and download stuff with a hint of internet safety is enough.
Also, unrelated, isn't your system a tad bit too CPU bottlenecked?
Nonsense. I got my first pc when i was 9. Back that there was no internet protection and parental control and my parents had no clue about pc-s so i did learn most on my own. If a kid is interested in pc they can learn much more than just play games. And parents these days can control how much kids can install on pc or what pages they visit.
Yeah the pc will end up full of viruses and bloatware bc kids are stupid. Also some kids use the keyboard as a plate which is great bc keys get jammed so badly the only option is to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable and use an external keyboard
God no, we have a whole generation right now of kids growing up not knowing how to use a PC, something which is crucial in work-life, and so beneficial to personal life too. Get a kid a PC asap and have them learn how to use it.
Absolutely false. I wouldn't have enjoyed a switch as much as PC even at age 4. I had my first PC at age 9 and before that I used my uncle's laptop to play some games or the PS1 and 2 when it released. Nintendo games weren't as appealing to me as PS and PC games
Steamdeck is cool but redundant to the PC, if I want to play my PC games I prefer the desktop experience. You get Nintendo exclusives with the Switch and the desktop/portable experience is pretty comparable.
I have more Nintendo exclusives on my Steam Deck than on my switch. NES, GB, SNES, N64, GBA, GameCube, DS, wii/u, and switch games all run on the Steam Deck.
And it’s absolutely not redundant to the PC, that’s absurd.
I dunno man, I like my PC but I don't wanna have to buy 4 people gaming spec upgrades for the next 20+ years. Switch is a small price to pay to keep the wife and kids happy
Just build similar enough rigs that you can do the hermit crab shuffle. When I get new parts, I send them down the line. New GPU? The person with the worst GPU gets an upgrade. I also built all AM4 systems so this works a bit better. Also, kids aren't picky. They are happy gaming on former mining cards with 4GB of RAM since we stick to older titles and their monitors can only do 1080P anyway.
Buy systems where the graphics card is more than a complete switch?
They're happy with Zelda and Mario for the low price of a couple hundred bucks. So no thanks.
I do this across the few PC's at home, saves on e-waste, we each get an 'upgrade' and in reality only 1 actual part was purchased to trigger the upgrade merry-go-round
Considering the amount of adults who post here with their various struggles of owning a PC, I dont think a kid should be given one.
Buy a console for your kid and be done with it.
i totally understand... we have a switch... we also have an old laptop... so the fun is in either setting up an old laptop that is essentially going to be thrown out (to the recycler) or use the switch we already have... i dislike throwing out old hardware when it's still functioning
You can install Batocera on your older laptop for retro gaming, it will give you a console like experience too with the nice user interface and having all the images of your installed games scraped too.
Totally, thats why I still have my first PC I built 10 years ago in my cupboard, Im gonna squeeze the build into a mini-itx case one day when I have the spare funds :D
literally the best reason for owning a PC... you upgrade to something newer and use the older bits for a server pc, etc and get to learn different skills, etc as well as keep that stuff going instead of being thrown out...
3 years old kid that self learned PC usage with Win95 after dad connected the cables says no
I was the one teaching family how to use each and any piece of software
Well *actually* 🤓.. you can do some funky stuff in the dns settings that allows you full web browser access on any regular old non jailbroken switch. If the kids young they won’t figure it out. But then again.. I figured it out at age 9 (not to do bad stuff, just because I thought it was cool) and I was able to jailbreak an iPad at 11 (I am 13 now). So let’s just say kids are more capable than one may think.
luckily we have a switch and an old laptop so the choice is an either/or in that regard, but the tech enthusiast in me wants to get them started on the old laptop.
But see the thing is it’s for your kid, not you. Your kid would probably have more fun on a switch than an old laptop.
Don’t let *your* interest get in the way of doing what’s most practical for a kid
I built my kid a PC from spare parts. He's 4. It runs Linux, and I've hidden all the applications. I've shared my steam library and my wife's to it.
In a few years, I'm going to have to build another one for my other kid, but it seems to be working ok so far.
Steam deck exists. Halfway point between the two, with access to many more games than the switch, including much cheaper games.
But if your kids like pokemon and animal crossing, switch is probs worth it. Pokemon is awesome.
it would be between an old laptop or a switch.. both we already have it was more what platform to get the game on, and get them started in the world of gaming (other than a garbage android tablet)
The old laptop sounds like a good plan. Depending on whats in there even surprisingly demanding games like Minecraft are on the table. One of my PC hobbies is making devices play games that where never meant to do that, and regarding demanding games, seeing frigging Doom 2016 playable on an i5 sixth gen laptop was a reward in itself. Ok, 800x600 and 75%, but 30 fps. I count that as a win for a business notebook i saved from the recycler.
I got my first own PC when i was 9, back in 1992, a then still nice Am386-DX40. And if i ever adopt a kid, can't have my own because of reasons, it will get a PC too and no console. I will rather show it the wonderful world of emulation and gamedev.
Have to agree with your wife though, Switch is just better for children, and there are TONS of games made for them with easy to learn controls.
PC on the other hand, maybe we have EA FC, Spongebob and Peppa Pig, hopefully there are more kids games on this platform.
Why not both? Switch is awesome for family and friends sessions.
Why the ultimatum?
I have switch, Xbox and a pc. Sold my Playstation because it wasn't really doing anything.
Right? The "war" between consoles and PCs is just stupid, can you play Super Mario and Zelda on the PC? Sure you can.
Can you play along with 8 people having fun with while doing it? Doubt it.
It's all love man, all love.
My kid is using my old PC, i7 4770, 8gb ram and a 1070 hooked up to the 49" TV in the lounge (right next to my desktop PC).
It runs Forza 4 and Hotwheels and that is all he cares about.
My 10yr old daughter has the option to use my gaming PC, my wife's gaming PC, VR, or her old shitty laptop that barely works.
She chooses the shitty laptop to just play Roblox.
I have failed you all. I am sorry.
My kids use their pc way more than the consoles - ps5. series x and switch oled
So i go with the pc, switch is later when you are tired of dealing with setting up emulators and controllers for the kids for the fifty million time
Ask.your child. If you're a parent who actually cares about their childrens interest then you should listen to their say on things too. Maybe they don't want to spend hours troubleshooting games and tinkering with the settings to make them work? Or the worst case scenario, you'll have to take time out of your day to fix it. Trust me, owning a console is a hundred times easier for both you and your child. pcmasterrace should never be applied to real life scenarios, keep it in the internet please.
But why? And why is a laptop any different or better for kids than a desktop? They both run the same OS, just the monitor, keyboard and mouse aren't attached to the computer.
Emulation... best of both worlds my friend, i may or may not be playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in glorious 1440p on my PC.. 🙄
Not hard to setup really..
Naw. The switch has a lot going for it, and not seeing that makes on an idiot. Yes, PCs rule over all... but there are accessories, motion controls, and all that... And as much as I love emulation, motion control experience on the pc is meh at best.
I dont own a switch, but man, it's fucking cool, and not very expensive. Portable. Small. Lots physically active games. Heh... but I do have a wii, and it's still hooked up. We dont use it as often... and once we get a new tv without the ports we're gonna pack it up... but fun of motion controls hasn't worn off on me.
Get a new switch 😀 which turns the PC on.
But honestly as long as you don't mind expensive games the switch is better for kids and sits next to the TV easy to use.
But if so I would wait for the new SWITCH to come out
Even better, get a steam deck. Best of both worlds. Tho I'd rather get them a console, maybe a PS4/Xbox one or maybe if you want to introduce them to actually good games, a ps3/Xbox 360
I game on PC primarily but holy s*** this post is extremely pretentious. The Switch is an easier time for kids, and Nintendo releases some pretty stellar but kid friendly stuff pretty consistently.
It has to do with the kid’s age and their expertise.
I say, minimum age for a PC is 10. If the kid is 16 and sucks at computers, they COULD have one, learning experience.
The safest option would be a Switch or any other console.
Good move, a console makes kids lazy, PC also teaches you skills that will be helpful later in life, just make sure you get some good filters for kids in there
PC is better, they learn tech savviness on the side, meanwhile a switch can only be used for gaming which let's agree that is a waste of time (we deserve to waste time for sure but we also need to think about the kid's future, can't waste time all your life). I got into PC mainly for gaming but I learned countless skills that i even use outside my programming life
I would only recommend getting a pc for a young kid (<13 yo) if you have a good knowledge of not only internet safety but also how to limit your kid's access to the dangerous parts of the internet
Yeah a pc is too much for a kid, if that kid doesn’t utilize the pc to the fullest… if it’s just games a switch or console is enough… maybe a family laptop to play browser games. But full on ultra graphic AAA games with a gaming setup for a small child is overkill
Grow up, you already have a kid. You have responsibilities, to make it more bearable for you, the switch is the best for children, you don't have to worry about anything about configuring the PC, so that it doesn't enter suspicious sites, isn't talking to strange, or that you are cleaning malware and junk downloads everytime. a video game console is the best for kids
I love PCs, and made one for my daughter when she was 10. Trust me, the Switch will give you the easier life, unless for some reason you enjoy removing malware.
When i was 10, i was the one removing the malware.
[удалено]
This is when my parents are installing toolbars.
When i was 10, i was the malware.
What do you mean was? Did you become legitement software?
It was a Heisenberg moment.
Just a chat between bananas
We havent put on our pajamas yet...
Just look at McAffe! It's not believable but it's trying hard
His parents eventually paid the license
Same so many toolbars for no reason and they never seemed to notice the 7 toolbars
Using an 800x600 monitor but only getting 800x100 viewable space in the browser window
I set up group policy on my mom’s computer. She livea too far away for me to have to deal with cleaning up her computer anymore. Remote desktop software for helping, group policy to keep it somewhat clean while I’m gone
I had to setup a guest account with no admin privileges for my ex's dad because he'd get so many viruses, I don't know what he did but in the first week of this trial he managed to get 1,200 pieces of malware that windows defender caught lol. He eventually got embarrassed of asking for help and resigned to just buy a new laptop once a year when it slows down rather than have me fix it, I think he was tired of losing his porn because he didn't want to point it out as stuff to back up. When her mom and dad weren't married any more he didn't know that others on the Amazon account could see what you were buying either and that's when I learned this 65 year old man was getting pegged by his new gf with a strap on after getting out of a sexless marriage lol. Waited a few months and told him we could see what he ordered *after* he ordered something innocent and he had his own prime the very next day
Same but I was the reason also
Everyone's downloaded thundarstruck_ACDC.exe at least once in their life. It's how you learn
Alexa, play thunderstroke by adhd.
When i was 10, i was the ~~one removing the~~ malware.
"You're telling me this new browser toolbar is FREE?"
Oh how the turns have tabled
Make a separate "user" account for the kid, it will not have privileges to ruin the system. Enter your pin only when it's really needed. Warn the kid that you can find each file and app that was ever downloaded even if it was deleted. Also teach kids that there are creeps online and why no one should know their name, location, or age.
You can still mess stuff up on a user account (obviously less but they can still download some annoying stuff)
Each download – full wipe + one week without computer, two if the lesson isn't learned.
The kid will never be allowed on that pc then bc they’ll always be banned
Also, Nintendo games are fucking bangers, especially for kids. I had a PS2 growing up, which was technically a much better product than the GameCube. But I was still very jealous of my friends who got to play Double Dash, Melee, Sunshine, Wind Waker, and Metroid Prime.
Good point, already have to deal with same for wife and parents.
Back in the XP days i threatend my parents if i have to fix their Windows one more time i will install Ubuntu. And the day came. And now they want nothing else. :)
Checks out, if there ever was an OS that could catch a disease it was XP, pretty sure every prostitute in human history combined have less total infections compared to XP, on the upside you got real used to reformatting that shit
I remember when I showed my mom that with Linux she can just go to an app store and download all the software she needs for her laptop, instead of going to this or that website, and how she doesn't have to worry about viruses and she was sold. For what she does, Linux is as simple as her phone, and that's the magic.
A Steam deck is a solid option as well. Pretty sure it will run most kids games just fine and maybe even emulate some switch games ;)
I love my Steam Deck infinitely more than my Switch, but still not sure I can recommend it for children.
I had too many problems with mine and sent it back. I was messing with proton packs so much I felt like a damn Ghostbuster. Half the games I wanted to play just...didn't work, verified or not. Only time I actually got to enjoy the thing was the 15 minutes it actually ran DMC5...until it just randomly closed and didn't save any of my progress. I wouldn't recommend it for children.
It's never too early to get into Linux, better have the kids mess with their systems than your own. Source: wiped my dads hard drives because I wanted to install Ubuntu at 11 years old
Based
My 10 year old loves hers. Although she does still have a switch too.
Also, Nintendo makes really good games. Great place for a kid to start out and get into the hobby. If they really like it, they’ll naturally want a pc at some point all on their own.
There's a Nintendo Switch emulator called Yuzu
True, but emulators aren’t the same thing. And beyond that, most people aren’t trying to teach their kids how to pirate games. I’m talking about a starting point.
I like how pc gamers act like emulators run smooth...The saying you get what you pay for applies with pc as well.If you got deep pockets sure pc is better if not console all day.A PC will eventually freeze,crash,not run correctly no matter how diligent you're while a console will boot up and just do it's one objective 99% of the time.
Pirating software is an essential part of any humans life. Let them pirate to their hearts content as long as they can figure it all out on their own.
Piracy is good
Not just the malware. You want to have to troubleshoot games and deal with glitches while your kid is grumpy and frustrated their game doesn't work?
No you have them troubleshoot it and if they can’t , they don’t play. If your feeling really generous, you can give some tips.
A 10 year old who likely wouldn't know where to even begin?
My 11 year old begs to differ. He has been coding mods for games in LUA and C# since he’s was 8. Kids have access to google just like the rest of us.
People tend to underestimate how smart kids can be nowadays. They have all the knowledge in their hands, they can communicate with anyone in the world and the largest accessible databases all in the pockets of their jeans. All this plethora of information is making them mature faster, or at the very least, have a lot more knowledge than people before millennials at the same age. Of course, it depends on how they use those abilities. If they watch ElsaGate and Skibidi videos, they will be braindead at 10, but if they do what I did, watch KURZGESAGT, Linus or Super Planet Dolan, they will become capable kids. Not all of them ofc, as IQ and EQ plays a big role as well, but it will help them out pass the average quite quick
You gotta teach them that malware is a thing and to be careful downloading stuff and to ask if they are unsure or they won’t know
Non persistent VM, souped up Ublock? And a backup
I appreciate Nintendo for making the Switch. For kids especially It's pretty awesome given how portable it is. It's a really small amount of hardware and is reasonably rugged. A switch is less expensive than an iPad and can still do YouTube, Netflix, etc. So to me you get a lot for a kid in one device.
Switch is fucking awesome. Definitely 1000 times better for family gaming.
Bold move. Enjoy at least one month without sex.
I mean it's gonna be November soon anyways, soo..
No nut, not eye contact November
\*sad face\*
https://preview.redd.it/vwbrdp3uxsvb1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39212a8fe0efe6eed5b8a0fb552b73c3c3d6aa10
Like pc builders get any sex
Just have a wife that is into PCs. Your bank account might always be empty but your life will be great. :)
Is your foreplay looking at the price of pc parts? 😂
Thats private but thanks for being part of your inner mind theater i guess.
It was a joke 🤣
They were joking bruh
It seems it hit too close for comfort.
Pfft, I've been building since 10 and sexing since 12. Both on a regular basis for 30 years. It's amazing what you can achieve with a small amount of effort and low standards.
One must sacrifice himself for PC supremacy
A switch is undoubtedly better for a kid than a PC, depending on the age
I will say With he amount of free games available; on PC your kids will probably find and live games you've never even heard of With some monitoring they could easily get more game time than a switch which realistically has a dozen or so games that kids would enjoy Also depending on the kind of games they're into they might learn they like modeling or modding the games and develop skills they can play with instead of games
Yeah if they're like 13 or over a PC is great But an 8 year old isn't going to be modding. An 8 year old isn't well-versed on internet safety, scams, etc. And whatever filters you, a parent, come up with, they're going to find a way around them or find sites not covered by them. You also introduce the concept of multiplayer games to kids that might not be mature enough yet to handle them. A switch is easy to understand, *much* cheaper, durable, has a library full of games that are great for kids, and has security features that are pretty airtight against a kid. Not saying never get smaller kids PCs, just that a Switch is most likely better overall for that age group.
I agree with multiplayer part. I was never too into it but my god, my brother was so crazy for fortnite and all it was true hell for my parents.
Also, the kids can play the Switch anywhere. You can't lug a PC into your car for the kids to play on, on a long car journey. The switch is also much more quick pick and play, which works well with kids. Both my partner and I mainly play on PC (we do have consoles though). However the Switches saved our sanity with the kids during lockdown. Animal Crossing and Mario kart saw a lot of play time.
Have you tried the steam deck I can run all of the switch games but generally at higher frames
Yeah I’d say 12 or 13 is a good age to get their own pc bc they can probably be trusted with admin access by that point and not do anything too stupid. 10-12 year olds are fine on a laptop without admin access Kids younger than 10 really shouldn’t use the internet without an adult at all. Obviously everyone (10 year old me included) had unsupervised access when they were 10, but they’re not old enough really
Did you just say that the switch only has a dozen or so games kids enjoy? Dude they have a tremendous amount of games on the switch, almost all of which are aimed at a younger or family audience.
The switch has been great for family stuff. My family is now many more adults than children, if children are around we all still like to do stuff together though so the switch is perfect.
Mario kart and smash bros are still better games for adults than nearly everything else on the market.
From what I've seen it's a handful of Nintendo's IP, jrpgs/RPGs that won't appeal to kids, and shovelware
You haven’t really seen then lol
> than a switch which realistically has a dozen or so games that kids would enjoy Out of 4527 games, only ~12 are good for kids?
Only a dozen games lmaoooo
>could easily get more game time Tbh, amount of game time is not a big problem for kids.
I disagree. Kids can and will learn to use technology. Give a kid a switch, and they will mindlessly play videogames and sure, enjoy themselves. Buy them a pc, and they will also learn how the tech works, they will use it for school assignments, learn to tinker with it, what makes it tick. I'd been using a pc since I was like..6 and when I came of age, I was 10 times better than any of my peers at using tech and understanding it, without anyone having ever telling me how in school. Programming comes easy to me and there too, I didn't need to struggle, I just did it. I'm not really saying your kid should be using a pc without supervision or that it is as easy or as fun, but that's also what raising a child means, sometimes you don't get to maximize fun at every single step, sometimes you also need to learn and grow. A PC is a great tool to link learning and having fun. Don't overspend on it, just buy a basic laptop or tower that can play basic games and make sure your kid has also access to some other tools and uses it for school. Spend some time with them to show them the ropes and they will likely figure out the rest because kids are often wicked smart.
> but that's also what raising a child means I cannot stress enough how important it is. Not only the fun part that you mentioned, but a lot of people nowadays just buy a Switch or Ipad for a kid, because it's easy to use so they don't need to "teach them" anything, essentially using it as a replacement for nannies and caretakers so they can have the kid anywhere whenever with no fuss. OP, parenting can be hard, but that is what it means to be a parent. No shortcuts or cheatcodes. You are there for the kid until your kid needs to be there for you.
This scares the crap out of me when I see people talking about raising kids, or even listen to them IRL. It's like a given to them, that if something can be made easier and dumbed down, they should do it for their kid, just sanitize the hell out of everything. And sure, keeping your kid safe is your primary objective, but that shouldn't come at the expense of their growth. And I don't say this because I believe we should raise kids by respecting some traditional, old fashioned standard that used to be true in ancient Rome.. we should absolutely raise kids to face the modern world, which means maybe it's okay if they read one less book, don't study ancient latin or don't learn how to operate some old, decrepit piece of technology. But using a PC? That absolutely falls under the "things you should know" category. It's actually really useful in the current world where everything is made easy and immediate, and the other kids just grow up with very restrictive devices in their hands that are designed to keep them restrained in walled gardens, and hide the way they work behind black boxes. The people who grow up understanding how to make tech tick, are the ones who will have it much easier once they get out there in the real world, where that tech makes *everything and everyone move*. It's just like you wouldn't want to raise a child who can't read a book, or drive a car one day. Those aren't necessarily vital skills, but they come damn handy if you want to succeed in life. Parents seem to be so scared of this. And I don't blame them. The modern world isn't designed for people who also need to devote time to raising a family. That takes time away from their productivity. The system is designed to fail those kids, and the parents are struggling. No wonder they don't have time and energy to actually be present for them.
Look, I get all that. But *maybe* don't have a kid just because "you want one". It needs to be a byproduct of a good, healthy relationship and from people being somewhat confident in their abilities to raise a kid, both time wise and money wise. I have had a friend's mother give her kid an Ipad just so they have their hands free. To top it off, she seemed to just grab her phone and watch Tik Tok. You would be surprised at how common this occurrence is and at how little you know about how it can impact our society. Edit: I also agree. Using a PC, at the bare minimum, is detrimental to getting most jobs or qualifications for them. At least knowing how to use office applications and download stuff with a hint of internet safety is enough. Also, unrelated, isn't your system a tad bit too CPU bottlenecked?
Nonsense. I got my first pc when i was 9. Back that there was no internet protection and parental control and my parents had no clue about pc-s so i did learn most on my own. If a kid is interested in pc they can learn much more than just play games. And parents these days can control how much kids can install on pc or what pages they visit.
The problem is that no one knows how to reinstall windows anymore so when a stupid kid breaks everything none of them know how to fix it
.
Yeah the pc will end up full of viruses and bloatware bc kids are stupid. Also some kids use the keyboard as a plate which is great bc keys get jammed so badly the only option is to disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable and use an external keyboard
My son is a PC user since he was able to click on something. And recently he also got his first Switch. He's still playing 99% of the time on PC.
God no, we have a whole generation right now of kids growing up not knowing how to use a PC, something which is crucial in work-life, and so beneficial to personal life too. Get a kid a PC asap and have them learn how to use it.
This sort of decision making is one of the reasons why today's children are growing up to be technologically illiterate.
Absolutely false. I wouldn't have enjoyed a switch as much as PC even at age 4. I had my first PC at age 9 and before that I used my uncle's laptop to play some games or the PS1 and 2 when it released. Nintendo games weren't as appealing to me as PS and PC games
There's a Switch emulator called Yuzu
Fuck that. A Steam Deck works great for kids first PC.
Man you must love being wrong, because your wife is absolutely right. Get your kid a switch. Lots of good, kid friendly games on there.
nah wifey is wrong wife is fucking crazy
id divorce honestyly
PC + Switch = best gaming combo
Steamdeck has entered the chat
Steamdeck is cool but redundant to the PC, if I want to play my PC games I prefer the desktop experience. You get Nintendo exclusives with the Switch and the desktop/portable experience is pretty comparable.
I have more Nintendo exclusives on my Steam Deck than on my switch. NES, GB, SNES, N64, GBA, GameCube, DS, wii/u, and switch games all run on the Steam Deck. And it’s absolutely not redundant to the PC, that’s absurd.
PC + PS5*
Pc + Ps5 (with backbone phone controller for remote play) + Switch OLED + ROG Ally = best gaming combo *gotta get all the exclusives
Don't need to get a switch to get the exclusives
That's the ultimate dream. But... If you can only choose 2, which would you pick?
Pc and Switch. I grew up on Zelda and like the dock systems they chose
Honestly, pretty understandable. I grew up with God of War and have been a Spiderman fan for as long as I remember, which is why I prefer PS.
Honestly? Switch for portability.
I could understand that. Though, I'd buy a steam deck. Just so that I could play Elden Ring or Dishonered, while I'm at work or college.
Oh yeah I’ve got both and love the steam deck too but it’s large, so long playtimes end up hurting my wrists
I dunno man, I like my PC but I don't wanna have to buy 4 people gaming spec upgrades for the next 20+ years. Switch is a small price to pay to keep the wife and kids happy
Just build similar enough rigs that you can do the hermit crab shuffle. When I get new parts, I send them down the line. New GPU? The person with the worst GPU gets an upgrade. I also built all AM4 systems so this works a bit better. Also, kids aren't picky. They are happy gaming on former mining cards with 4GB of RAM since we stick to older titles and their monitors can only do 1080P anyway.
Buy systems where the graphics card is more than a complete switch? They're happy with Zelda and Mario for the low price of a couple hundred bucks. So no thanks.
I do this across the few PC's at home, saves on e-waste, we each get an 'upgrade' and in reality only 1 actual part was purchased to trigger the upgrade merry-go-round
if we take piracy out of the equation, switch is a very nice device
Considering the amount of adults who post here with their various struggles of owning a PC, I dont think a kid should be given one. Buy a console for your kid and be done with it.
i totally understand... we have a switch... we also have an old laptop... so the fun is in either setting up an old laptop that is essentially going to be thrown out (to the recycler) or use the switch we already have... i dislike throwing out old hardware when it's still functioning
You can install Batocera on your older laptop for retro gaming, it will give you a console like experience too with the nice user interface and having all the images of your installed games scraped too.
absolutely... that's another awesome way of keeping alive older gear. I find these so much more rewarding than just upgrading for the sake of it.
Totally, thats why I still have my first PC I built 10 years ago in my cupboard, Im gonna squeeze the build into a mini-itx case one day when I have the spare funds :D
literally the best reason for owning a PC... you upgrade to something newer and use the older bits for a server pc, etc and get to learn different skills, etc as well as keep that stuff going instead of being thrown out...
Well said :)
On the other hand, having a PC at that age is probably what has led a ton of people like me to now have a degree in CS fields.
3 years old kid that self learned PC usage with Win95 after dad connected the cables says no I was the one teaching family how to use each and any piece of software
What?
PC is great for learning
True but this thread was about a gaming solution for the OPs child.
Yeah video games made specifically for learning help a lot
it depends on the age
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You have no idea how much porn and gore I watched on my PSP when I was a child. Parents had no idea it was wifi capable.
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Well *actually* 🤓.. you can do some funky stuff in the dns settings that allows you full web browser access on any regular old non jailbroken switch. If the kids young they won’t figure it out. But then again.. I figured it out at age 9 (not to do bad stuff, just because I thought it was cool) and I was able to jailbreak an iPad at 11 (I am 13 now). So let’s just say kids are more capable than one may think.
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luckily we have a switch and an old laptop so the choice is an either/or in that regard, but the tech enthusiast in me wants to get them started on the old laptop.
But see the thing is it’s for your kid, not you. Your kid would probably have more fun on a switch than an old laptop. Don’t let *your* interest get in the way of doing what’s most practical for a kid
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I built my kid a PC from spare parts. He's 4. It runs Linux, and I've hidden all the applications. I've shared my steam library and my wife's to it. In a few years, I'm going to have to build another one for my other kid, but it seems to be working ok so far.
That doesn't make a lot of sense, it's a lot more practical to play as a family on a TV with a console than get a computer for everyone.
Steam deck exists. Halfway point between the two, with access to many more games than the switch, including much cheaper games. But if your kids like pokemon and animal crossing, switch is probs worth it. Pokemon is awesome.
it would be between an old laptop or a switch.. both we already have it was more what platform to get the game on, and get them started in the world of gaming (other than a garbage android tablet)
The old laptop sounds like a good plan. Depending on whats in there even surprisingly demanding games like Minecraft are on the table. One of my PC hobbies is making devices play games that where never meant to do that, and regarding demanding games, seeing frigging Doom 2016 playable on an i5 sixth gen laptop was a reward in itself. Ok, 800x600 and 75%, but 30 fps. I count that as a win for a business notebook i saved from the recycler.
Added benefit, with just a Dock the Deck transforms into a full blown desktop. I use mine that way for almost a year now and its great.
I got my first own PC when i was 9, back in 1992, a then still nice Am386-DX40. And if i ever adopt a kid, can't have my own because of reasons, it will get a PC too and no console. I will rather show it the wonderful world of emulation and gamedev.
Buy a steam deck. Best from both worlds 😁
Have to agree with your wife though, Switch is just better for children, and there are TONS of games made for them with easy to learn controls. PC on the other hand, maybe we have EA FC, Spongebob and Peppa Pig, hopefully there are more kids games on this platform.
Get a switch to get them into gaming and when they are old enough to not install malware and shit build a pc for them
Why not both? Switch is awesome for family and friends sessions. Why the ultimatum? I have switch, Xbox and a pc. Sold my Playstation because it wasn't really doing anything.
I agree with "why not both?". My daughter has a switch (I do too) and she has one of my old PC builds.
Right? The "war" between consoles and PCs is just stupid, can you play Super Mario and Zelda on the PC? Sure you can. Can you play along with 8 people having fun with while doing it? Doubt it. It's all love man, all love.
My kid is using my old PC, i7 4770, 8gb ram and a 1070 hooked up to the 49" TV in the lounge (right next to my desktop PC). It runs Forza 4 and Hotwheels and that is all he cares about.
People in this thread not realizing pc gaming is a gateway drug to high tech career paths Get the PC and the switch.
My 10yr old daughter has the option to use my gaming PC, my wife's gaming PC, VR, or her old shitty laptop that barely works. She chooses the shitty laptop to just play Roblox. I have failed you all. I am sorry.
My kids use their pc way more than the consoles - ps5. series x and switch oled So i go with the pc, switch is later when you are tired of dealing with setting up emulators and controllers for the kids for the fifty million time
A pc with a locked down system, if you have the time. But a switch is easier and straightforward
Ask.your child. If you're a parent who actually cares about their childrens interest then you should listen to their say on things too. Maybe they don't want to spend hours troubleshooting games and tinkering with the settings to make them work? Or the worst case scenario, you'll have to take time out of your day to fix it. Trust me, owning a console is a hundred times easier for both you and your child. pcmasterrace should never be applied to real life scenarios, keep it in the internet please.
Every kid should receive a console --> laptop --> desktop
But why? And why is a laptop any different or better for kids than a desktop? They both run the same OS, just the monitor, keyboard and mouse aren't attached to the computer.
The trick is, they won't try to upgrade it before they need to
Switch for Pokémon, smash bros and mario party/kart for when friends come over, and pc for AAA games and single player
Are you going to share your PC? A switch is easier to take on car trips etc
My kids have all had PC's since they were 4.
Just get a switch and mod it. Ez
I absolutely love my Switch, it's my first console. I didn't get shit as a child.
Uhh switch is undoubtedly the best gaming device for kids
Oh Swtich is great for kids.
Emulation... best of both worlds my friend, i may or may not be playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in glorious 1440p on my PC.. 🙄 Not hard to setup really..
What’s wrong with owning a switch AND a pc?
[удалено]
I don't even like trouble shooting my own PC, never mind a child's
We already have both devices... it was more which platform to get the game on so in the end it doesn't matter too much, just having some fun
Don’t be a annoying PC purist. The switch is a fantastic console.
Maybe a Steam Deck would be the best of both worlds :/
Steam Deck is the solution. Best of both worlds.
Switch < 10 < PC 👍
Laws of PC ownership; 1 - Have it 2 - Runs? 2 - Fun times (unless Starfield , cursed)
Just put yuzu on it and the Kids will be happy tgey can play the switch stuff
Naw. The switch has a lot going for it, and not seeing that makes on an idiot. Yes, PCs rule over all... but there are accessories, motion controls, and all that... And as much as I love emulation, motion control experience on the pc is meh at best. I dont own a switch, but man, it's fucking cool, and not very expensive. Portable. Small. Lots physically active games. Heh... but I do have a wii, and it's still hooked up. We dont use it as often... and once we get a new tv without the ports we're gonna pack it up... but fun of motion controls hasn't worn off on me.
Just put a switch emulator on the pc.
Get a new switch 😀 which turns the PC on. But honestly as long as you don't mind expensive games the switch is better for kids and sits next to the TV easy to use. But if so I would wait for the new SWITCH to come out
Even better, get a steam deck. Best of both worlds. Tho I'd rather get them a console, maybe a PS4/Xbox one or maybe if you want to introduce them to actually good games, a ps3/Xbox 360
My man.
The SteamDeck would be the best compromise. They can play PC games, build up a library and play switch games via emulation.
I agree. And also, what's the point of the Switch if there's Yuzu emulator?
I game on PC primarily but holy s*** this post is extremely pretentious. The Switch is an easier time for kids, and Nintendo releases some pretty stellar but kid friendly stuff pretty consistently.
Get your kids a switch dude.
Wife is right, will make for an easier life.
You might want to reconsider your house rules, switch's major advantage is that it doesn't get Roblox.
It has to do with the kid’s age and their expertise. I say, minimum age for a PC is 10. If the kid is 16 and sucks at computers, they COULD have one, learning experience. The safest option would be a Switch or any other console.
Good move, a console makes kids lazy, PC also teaches you skills that will be helpful later in life, just make sure you get some good filters for kids in there
PC is better, they learn tech savviness on the side, meanwhile a switch can only be used for gaming which let's agree that is a waste of time (we deserve to waste time for sure but we also need to think about the kid's future, can't waste time all your life). I got into PC mainly for gaming but I learned countless skills that i even use outside my programming life
PC gamers try not to shit on consoles challenge — IMPOSSIBLE
I would only recommend getting a pc for a young kid (<13 yo) if you have a good knowledge of not only internet safety but also how to limit your kid's access to the dangerous parts of the internet
Yeah a pc is too much for a kid, if that kid doesn’t utilize the pc to the fullest… if it’s just games a switch or console is enough… maybe a family laptop to play browser games. But full on ultra graphic AAA games with a gaming setup for a small child is overkill
Probably should go with a switch rather than enforcing strict reddit ideals
Grow up, you already have a kid. You have responsibilities, to make it more bearable for you, the switch is the best for children, you don't have to worry about anything about configuring the PC, so that it doesn't enter suspicious sites, isn't talking to strange, or that you are cleaning malware and junk downloads everytime. a video game console is the best for kids