There's one thing every parent should do before gifting a video game console

It's Christmas Day and you're the nicest person: You splurged on an expensive video game console for your daughter/son/friend/relative/significant other.

As you sip on a hot cup of coffee, they rip open the box and their face lights up with joy. A new game console! Everyone's very excited.

Unfortunately, that excitement quickly fades as the setup process begins:

1. First, there's the joy of unpacking the box. Look at all this shiny new stuff!
2. Then there's the process of hooking up the game console to your TV. Less fun maybe, but a necessary step on the way to new video games!
3. And finally, the console is hooked up. Time to play some new video games! Right? Right?! Nuh uh.

It's 2017, so it's actually time to update your system with the latest firmware.

And then video games, right?

Nope! You'll need to install each game individually if you bought them on disc, and then they'll almost certainly require some form of downloaded update.

And then video games? Maybe? Please?

Maybe, if you don't have to update the software that runs your gamepad. On Xbox One controllers from before June 2015, that process requires plugging in each controller individually and updating it. Seriously! If it's from after June 2015, it may still need an update - but you can do it wirelessly, at least.

(NOTE: Follow Microsoft's instructions right here for how to update your gamepad.)

Long gone are the days of plug-and-play game consoles.

Even Nintendo's latest console, the Switch, requires an update when you first hook it up.

The processes vary a bit from Xbox One to PlayStation 4 to Switch, but they're all essentially forcing you to do the same thing: plug in your system and download software from the internet that enables the game console to do basically anything, from play games to watch Netflix.

And that's why you, intrepid gift giver, should go above and beyond and set up that console with new firmware before gifting it.

This is blessedly simple across all three game consoles: simply plug the system in as if it were yours and follow setup instructions. The consoles are all designed to be straightforward and simple to setup.

In case this is your first time, here are explicit instructions from each console maker directly:

• Setup instructions for the Nintendo Switch
• Setup instructions for the Microsoft Xbox One
• Setup instructions for the Sony PlayStation 4

You may have to create a temporary login, but they're easily deletable; the person who gets the game console will thank you. Or maybe they won't! But at very least you'll feel pretty good when they can simply turn the system on and enjoy it for what it is - a game console - rather than what it isn't: an expensive paperweight that needs an hour or more to talk to the internet before it can do anything.

Happy holidays!

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