Christmas Day is tomorrow, and we’re sure that more than a few kids (and adults) will have some kind of new gaming console under the tree.
Irrespective of whether you’re gifting a last-gen console like PS4 or Xbox One, you’re going for a Nintendo Switch, or you’ve been lucky enough to get your hands on Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 amid stock shortages, there’s one thing you should do before you give away either of them: get them out of the box and upgrade them first.
Back in the day, of course, you didn’t have to upgrade the console before you gave it to someone else, because there wasn’t anything to update because the consoles couldn’t connect to the internet.
Nowadays, however, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are all routinely sending out new firmware updates not only for their consoles, but also for their controllers in some cases, and you will need to install those updates before you actually use the machine.
Luckily, you can easily open the box, power the console, attach it to the internet, and update it until your loved ones open it on Christmas morning. Irrespective of the console you’re operating with, it’s going to be a driven procedure in all situations, so it should be pretty straightforward and easy to complete.
If you don’t have a Nintendo Switch, you should put the console back in the box and wrap it up until you get to the home screen.
For everything else – Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation 5 – you can also take the opportunity to install any disk-based games you have bought alongside the console (the Switch uses cartridges and thus does not need games to be installed until they can be played).
That can take a substantial amount of time, so if your aim is to minimize the amount of waiting on Christmas morning and maximize the time spent playing, downloading games is also a good idea.
Waiting for these updates can actually put a damper in place.
Read more= Paper Mario is coming to Switch – Why I’m excited
Of course, whoever you’re giving the console may be a maverick (read: weirdo) like me, and actually enjoy the setup phase
despite all the waiting, but I think most people aren’t like that, and I’d rather dive into the game, especially kids.
Through upgrading the console and downloading some games ahead of time, you’re going to make sure they can do just that as soon as they unbox their present.
