Key points
- Two-step verification is the single most important setting in any online game.
- Frame rate and input settings affect enjoyment more than graphics quality.
- Learn the mute and report tools before you need them.
The first evening with a new online game sets the tone for everything after it. Ten minutes in the menus pays off for months. This checklist works for every game in our catalogue and most games outside it.
Secure the account
Online game accounts hold years of progress, which makes them worth protecting. Before anything else:
- Use a unique password kept in a password manager.
- Switch on two-step verification with an authenticator app. Most publishers offer it, and several grant a small in-game thank-you for enabling it.
- Check that the email address on the account is one you will still have in five years.
- Be wary of messages offering free items or asking you to sign in through a link. Publishers do not ask for your password in chat.
Tune what you feel, not what you see
A steady frame rate matters more than high graphical detail. Lower the settings until the game runs smoothly during busy moments, then raise them one at a time. Set the field of view to a comfortable value if the option exists, turn off camera shake and motion blur if they bother you, and check the control bindings before your first real match. Players with accessibility needs should explore that menu early; many modern games offer colour-blind filters, subtitles with speaker names, and hold-to-toggle options.
Take charge of chat
Most communities are friendly most of the time. For the rest, know where the tools are. Find the mute, block and report functions on day one. Decide whether you want voice chat on by default, push-to-talk, or off entirely. Many games let you restrict text chat to friends or replace it with quick pings, which is often all a team needs.
Set-up for younger players
If a child will be playing, create a child account on the console, phone or PC store rather than sharing an adult one. Platform-level parental controls can limit play time, spending and who can communicate with the account. Check the age rating on the official store page, and play together for the first session so you both understand how the game works.
Decide your limits now
It is easier to set a limit before a game has its hooks in you. Pick a finishing time before you start, use the console or phone’s screen-time reminders if they help, and end on a natural stopping point such as the end of a match or mission. Our healthy play page has more on keeping games a good part of your week.