My First Console

Guidance for parents and carers

Help your child experience all the benefits of gaming on their first console with tips and parental controls to manage or restrict online interactions, in-game spending and more.

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What you'll find on this page

Scroll to learn about setting up your child's first console. Or, jump to the relevant section by choosing an option below.

Why setup is important

Setting up your child's first console can help keep their gaming experiences positive.

From communicating with friends to developing skills like teamwork and problem solving, gaming offers children many benefits.

To help them game responsibly and with confidence, it’s important that you use the parental controls when setting up their console.

How to set up video games consoles

In addition to in-game parental controls, you can set up your child's video games console to support positive gaming. Choose a console to see the step-by-step guide.

Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 5 (PS5)

Xbox Series X/S

My First Console resources for parents

Explore the full guide and video series below to help your child enjoy their first console and online gaming experiences responsibly.

How to manage in-game spending

How to set gaming consoles up

How to talk about online gaming

Supporting resources

In-game spending guide

How I set up my child's first console

Step-by-step parental controls

Video games consoles buying guide

Ask About Games

Ask About Games supports parents and families to navigate the world of video games safely, by sharing top tips, expert knowledge, and answering questions all about video games.

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