Would you gift a Switch or a 3DS to a child?

I gave my New 3DS XL to my nephew for Xmas 2016 since I knew Switch was coming and all that I had left to replay were the classic Zelda games (MM and OOT). I thought that 9 was a good age to introduce him to those games - and I was sorely mistaken. He barely plays the thing and couldn't advance in Pokemon Sun because he failed to realize how to save one's progress. I am the cool uncle, at the least, but f*ck kid get it together.

Yeah I think that for a child the 3DS is the better option.

Of all the Sins I have committed and if the only way to get myself into Heaven is to bestow a gift to a child and give up my Switch? Yes I shall give away my $400 Switch to a child who will one day be the true gamer that he/she will become.

But all in seriousness, I have giving away my games to kids/teens in my early adult hood and I also gave away very few GPU's as well. If I can, I don't mind giving away my console such as my Switch away just out of kindness.

Give them a stick and a hoop. Fuckers should earn life without technology lol.

2DS XL ..lotsa games.. :P

I gave my eldest a 3DS when she turned 5. I gave my second kiddo a 2DS when she turned 4. I gave the family a Switch when Mario Kart released a year ago.

I'd do the 2DS.

You can get it bundled with Mario or Zelda for like $80. So if they break it not a big loss.

The games are cheaper than Switch.

There's a lot more shovelware- tv show games, pet games, etc on the 3DS that kids like. And don't forget its backwards compatible with DS.

Either way its a great way to teach kids to be organized and clean- if that's a principle you care about. Wash your hands before you play. Put your game back in the case before you get the next one out, or else they'll get lost or damaged. Stuff like that.

I gave my daughter a 3DS for Xmas several years ago.

Either one. If you give them a switch and they break it you can teach them a valuable lesson about how life sucks. If not then they get endless hours of fun. It's a win-win!

I mean... If it's a bit of a clumsy child or destructive child then 2DS is the answer. It's incredibly cheap. (I don't recall a handheld of the big 3 ever being that cheap in history.) It's also extremely durable.

For a very young child I would probably still go 3DS over Switch. Partially because of the price.

Yeah, I wouldn't be comfortable giving a Switch to a child, unless the child is unusually careful with things. 3DSs are unbreakable though.

Kids want iPads these days to play Roblox and minecraft

i would introduce him to the world of pc gaming

consoles are a waste of money

@boycie: Yeah good point. If a kid is capable enough that they can play with a tablet or iPhone then I think they can also play with a Switch.

I agree with this, plus a lot of the original DS are really cheap now.

Parental controls can turn off the 3D. FYI.

A 3DS is cheaper and sturdier.

Your question makes a good point. The point is that Nintendo should release a new Switch Sku aimed mostly at kids and the portable user that is mostly interested in portable gaming.

The system would be cheaper maybe $199 and have a smaller screen and no dock mode. It would run all of the same games as the Switch. It would be tougher under impact and have a lot more battery life.

For now the answer is the 3DS is better for kids because a Switch more than anything is more fragile and expensive. A 2DS actually may be the best thing for small kids.

A new Switch sku should be what replaces the aging 3DS portable hardware.

Not a very well developed question. First and foremost, how old is the kid? 4, 8, 12, 16?

Also, what is their gaming experience? Is this a random gift or something they were looking forward to/requested?

3DS, it's cheaper and the little rascals are bound to kill it eventually so it'd be easier to replace.

For a young kid who is just learning about gaming, the 3DS is the better option. If they are already a gamer and are concerned about upcoming games, then the Switch is the better option.

@uninspiredcup: You find it uncomfortable as a handheld? The buttons are rather small but I actually find it to be an improvement over the 3DS line. I'm not sure how to put it but it feels alot more natural in my hands.

Well for me at least, I guess I'm not sure if I were a kid.

Definitely a 3DS. Cheaper, very portable and tons of pokemon.

Depends. If they are more of a hardcore-ish gamer who is caught up with the gaming scene, is more serious about it, and knows how to treat their devices with respect, then I would easily get them a Switch, as it is more akin to an actual game console, will be supported for a lot longer, and it will allow them access to a slew of great indies and first-party Nintendo AAA exclusives for the next few years. However, if they are overall less serious about gaming and treat it as a occasional side hobby (they actually have lives, haha), then I would get them a 3DS. It has, as of right now, the bigger library, is more durable as a piece of hardware, and seeing as how they probably don't care about gaming all that much, they wouldn't mind missing out on the big Nintendo exclusives. Most kids are less nerdy, play on their phones more, and overall have a passing interest in games, so I would say a 3DS. I love both my 3DS and Switch, so putting myself in their shoes, I wouldn't be disappointed in either, since Nintendo games are generally of high quality.

@lundy86_4: Jesus Christ dude, in our digital age, giving game consoles to well-behaved children as a reward is not all that unprecedented. Who pissed in your morning coffee to make you hate children?

Dude... So very clearly a joke lol. I grew up gaming.

id get him a switch 3ds sucks now

@lundy86_4: Sorry. Kinda hard to tell when someone's joking online.

All good man. I've fallen prey to that trap as well lol. My kid's will grow up playing some classics back to NES days.

@lundy86_4: professional cartridge blower ?

A switch.