Time limits
Research from the Oxford Internet Institute suggests that what children do on screens is more important than the amount of time they spend doing it – but that doesn’t mean you can’t choose to set limits.
Through the app, you can set daily quotas for your child. When their time is almost up, they will receive a notification which encourages them to finish what they’re doing. You can also enable a feature called ‘Suspend software’ which will automatically quit the game and turn the console off when the time is up.
Loot boxes
There are many online games available on the Switch. Some of them maygive players the option to buy loot boxes – virtual ‘treasure chests’ containing mystery items that may or may not be of value for the player.
Because the player doesn’t usually know what they’re going to get, they might be tempted to keep buying loot boxes until they get what they want. As a result, there are concerns that loot boxes can introduce children to gambling-like behaviours.
Nintendo now demands that all games disclose ‘drop rates’ – the probability that a loot box will yield a specific reward. The Switch also gives parents control over their child’s spending. You can either set up limits or turn off spending completely in the Nintendo eShop.
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This article was last updated on 18/11/22.
