Topic: Two kids. Can we manage with one Switch?

Hey.

Father to two kids (10yo boy and 8yo girl) who are asking for a Nintendo switch for their birthday (a couple of weeks apart).

We currently own an XBox 360, and XBox one. The 10yo is the king of Fortnite and Minecraft, and the girl queen of "Just Dance" (just so you'd know where I stand).

Will we manage with one switch? I am not familiar with the "personal gaming devices" so will they manage? or this just inviting trouble?
Buying two is a heavy investment so its not my default option...

Those of you who are in a similar state with two kids - what do you think? I doubt they will play against each other too often... (probably alot alone or against their own friends).

If we decide to go with only one switch - any must-have peripherals that we should buy?

Thanks
LT

2 kids here 11/9 yr old boys. Seeing as you have other consoles you should be OK with one. I got one at launch and we purchased another about 6 months later so we've had multiple for a while. This situation is what makes the Switch Lite a good choice as well. One "regular" switch for CO op/TV play and a second cheaper one to mitigate fighting. Ultimately I would say just start with one, see how it goes for a few months and reevaluate then to see if one is still sufficient or if you should spring for a second.

@redd214 Hey.
Thanks! how does saving works though?
If we have one console - will they be able to save to their different users?
If we have one regular and one lite, is it possible to tranfer saves between the consoles?

BTW: the reason for buying two now is that there are sales now... which we will not have in 2-3 weeks.
Also - My kids dont read/speak English. How problematic is this for gameplay?

Thanks!

@liort with one console, yes each of them can create their own profile and have their own separate save files which can be transfered to another Switch. As far as the language I honestly am not sure. I'd assume most games have translations but that's not something I am 100% sure about to be fair.

Happy to help

@redd214

Thanks!

Videogames are excellent to spark the desire to learn English, by the way. So don't be afraid of getting them games without translations. They're young, and you'd be surprised just how much of a language they can learn just from playing a game.

Of course, you'll have to help them along the way.

@liort What is your kids' primary language if I may ask? I doubt many games get translations in Hebrew. What Eel says is totally true though: gaming is a perfect and fun way to learn English.

Btw, one console should definitely be enough for two kids to share! Even if there's no other console present in your household. There's a lot of people in the world who can't buy one, let alone two.

@toiletduck Hey. Indeed Hebrew. Though they are in the process of learning... (Alexa is dominating our household now so...). But if the games are story-driven then this is indeed a problem for the 8yo...

Thanks!

@liort My nieces, 6,8,12 years old, aren't good with sharing tablets. If got a Switch for them, before opening it, I would possibly say it's for TV use only. I leave that judgement up to you, though.

Side note: The sleep function is great. If a child hasn't come for dinner after calling them nicely, you can quick-press the power button for sleep mode to pause game(tv screen will go black). You can use the sleep button at any time, and it pauses everything, even if it's a video cutscene in a game. Wake the Switch up and it will resume whatever you were playing, or the cutscene.

power button:
quick press = sleep mode
long press = will bring up a window asking if you would like to shut down or restart the console.

@liort I have no kids, but I do teach them. I feel like if there is another game system in the house then one shouldn't be a problem. One kid can play on the Switch and the other the Xbone. The Switch is also particularly good with couch co-op or multi player games. So there's a lot of games your children could play together or you with them. Much more so than with Xbone or PS4.

Also what @Eel said is very true. I've practiced a lot of Japanese by playing games. And as someone who teaches English as a second language to children I can say I confidently suggest to my students that they play games or watch video in English when they have the opportunity.

@liort

If you play the Switch docked (on a TV) then it can be used just like a regular stationary console. It'll function just like your Xbox.

Every user can make their own profile (and Mii), so games can be shared but no one would get into the way of anothers progress.
Though as a parent you should first make your own main account that is under your control: For setting up parental controls and to have a Nintendo membership (free) to use the eShop and stuff.

And if you wanna buy a second Switch one day, you should always buy the games physical, so they can be played on both consoles (Downloaded games only work on the console it's been bought on, whereas physical games work on any Switch console).

I also learned my English by playing games and listening to music, and trying to understand what's up. I'm the only one in my family that speaks English due to my exposure to video games in younger years.