Im not much of a gamer (ironically I make games for a living) but I made a bet with my kids that if the Detroit Lions make the playoffs this year I’ll buy them a system, and its looking like almost a lock to happen, so I want to get in on some Holiday deals.
This is their first non-Nintendo system so I’m a little lost on which way to go at this point in the generation cycle. For reference they’re 7 and 9 year old boys and are gonna be new to gaming that isnt based around crafting or Italian brothers. (i made them use my old NES, then SNES first, then got them a Switch a couple years back)
The main factor here is what their friends have as you can not play with people on the other console. You said their friends have a blend so then it comes down to personal preference.
Xbox has great backwards compatibility and good PC integration with Xbox Play Anywhere. It also has Xbox Gamepass which is the best bang for your buck when it comes to games.
PlayStation however has more and better exclusives. These exclusives are especially great for the casual gamer. Also if I remember correctly (not 100% sure) PlayStation is the slightly more powerful console nowadays which means a better overall experience when playing games. Better looking, faster loading times, etc.