September 6, 2024 Stephen Staley

How do you set parental controls on PS5?

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a powerful gaming console that offers a wide variety of games, apps, and entertainment options. While these experiences can be fun and educational, parents or guardians might want to monitor and restrict content, manage playtime, and control online interactions for younger users. PlayStation's parental controls provide a robust suite of features to ensure that the gaming environment is safe and appropriate for children of all ages.

In this detailed guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about setting up and managing parental controls on the PS5. We’ll walk you through account creation, the various levels of restrictions, managing online interactions, controlling spending, and much more. By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the tools to create a safe gaming experience for your children.

Understanding Parental Controls and Family Management
- Importance of Parental Controls
- PlayStation Network and Family Accounts
Setting Up Family Management on PS5
- Creating an Adult Account
- Adding a Child Account
- Managing Family Members
Content and Age Restrictions
- Limiting Game Content by Age Rating
- Blocking Age-Inappropriate Apps
- Restricting Web Browsing
Controlling Playtime and Screen Time
- Setting Playtime Limits
- Monitoring Playtime and Activity
- Handling Playtime Notifications
Online Interaction Controls
- Managing Communication with Other Players
- Restricting Friend Requests and Messages
- Controlling Participation in Multiplayer Games
Controlling Purchases and Spending
- Setting Spending Limits for Child Accounts
- Restricting Payments and In-App Purchases
- Approving or Blocking Purchases
Privacy and Data Settings
- Managing Data Collection and Sharing
- Limiting Access to Personal Information
- Protecting Identity and Profile Visibility
Using Parental Controls on Other Devices
- Managing Controls from the PlayStation App
- Using PlayStation’s Website for Family Settings
Bypassing and Modifying Parental Controls
- Setting a Parental Control PIN
- Adjusting or Removing Restrictions
- Recovering a Forgotten PIN
Advanced Tips for Managing Your Child’s PS5 Experience
- Monitoring Activity Reports
- Managing Cross-Platform Gaming
- Ensuring Safe YouTube and Streaming Access
Common Issues and Troubleshooting Parental Controls
- Troubleshooting Parental Control Restrictions
- Fixing Incorrect Age Ratings
- Handling Errors with Multiple Accounts
Final Thoughts: Maintaining a Balanced Gaming Environment

1. Understanding Parental Controls and Family Management

Importance of Parental Controls

Parental controls are essential for ensuring that children engage with age-appropriate content, avoid dangerous interactions with strangers, and manage their screen time in a healthy way. They allow parents or guardians to set up restrictions for games, apps, online features, and spending. PS5’s parental controls are integrated with the PlayStation Network, making it easier for parents to manage everything through one unified platform.

PlayStation Network and Family Accounts

On the PS5, you can set up a Family Management system through PlayStation Network (PSN). This feature allows you to group family members into one account structure, with parents or guardians acting as Family Managers. Here’s how it works:

Family Manager: The main account holder who can set and manage parental controls.
Guardian/Parent: Other adults in the family who can help manage restrictions.
Child Accounts: Accounts for younger family members with tailored restrictions.

Each child account can have custom restrictions based on the child’s age and preferences.

2. Setting Up Family Management on PS5

Before setting any parental controls, you need to configure the Family Management system. This allows you to set up individual child accounts and manage restrictions for each family member.

Creating an Adult Account

If you don’t have a PlayStation account yet, follow these steps to create an adult account (Family Manager):

Turn on the PS5 and navigate to the main dashboard.
Select Settings (the gear icon) in the upper right corner.
Scroll down to Users and Accounts and select Account.
Choose Sign In and follow the prompts to create a new PlayStation Network account (if you don't have one already).
Enter your details, including your date of birth, email, and a secure password.
Complete the account setup by verifying your email address.

After creating your adult account, you will act as the Family Manager and have full control over setting parental controls for child accounts.

Adding a Child Account

To add a child account:

Go to Settings and select Family and Parental Controls.
Choose Family Management.
Select Add Family Member, then choose Add Child.
Enter the child’s date of birth. This step is critical because it automatically sets content restrictions based on their age.
Follow the prompts to set up their profile, including creating a username and password.

After creating a child account, you can begin customizing the restrictions and settings specific to that account.

Managing Family Members

You can manage existing family members, invite new family members, and remove accounts at any time:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select the account you want to modify.
From here, you can change restrictions, remove users, or promote adult family members to guardians.

3. Content and Age Restrictions

Limiting Game Content by Age Rating

You can restrict access to games that have age-inappropriate content for your child. This restriction is based on the game’s ESRB or PEGI rating, depending on your region.

To set content restrictions:

Navigate to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions.
Select Parental Controls for New Users and choose the Age Level for Games setting.
Adjust the slider based on your child’s age (lower numbers restrict access to more content).

You can also customize settings for different age groups, blocking M-rated or 18+ games while allowing content suitable for younger audiences.

Blocking Age-Inappropriate Apps

Some apps like streaming services (e.g., Netflix, YouTube) may contain content that is not suitable for children.

To block or limit access to specific apps:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions.
Select Parental Controls for New Users.
Adjust the Age Level for Apps and Movies settings to restrict access based on your child's age.

Restricting Web Browsing

The PS5 features a built-in web browser, but you can block it entirely to prevent children from accessing inappropriate websites.

To block the web browser:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions.
Under Web Browser, select Do Not Allow to block access to the internet browser.

4. Controlling Playtime and Screen Time

Setting Playtime Limits

One of the most valuable parental control features on the PS5 is the ability to manage how long your child can play. You can set daily playtime limits, specify when the console can be used, and even set restrictions for specific days (like weekends or school nights).

To set playtime limits:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select your child’s account and navigate to Time Management.
Set the daily playtime limit, including start and stop times, and ensure Notify When Time Ends is enabled for a countdown warning before the limit is reached.

Monitoring Playtime and Activity

You can monitor your child’s playtime and gaming habits through the Family Management interface. This allows you to see how long they’ve played, which games they’ve engaged with, and what activities they’ve participated in.

To monitor playtime:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select your child’s account, then choose Playtime Settings to view daily activity reports.

Handling Playtime Notifications

The PS5 allows you to set up playtime notifications that alert your child when they’re close to their gaming limit.

To manage notifications:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Under Playtime Settings, toggle Notify Before Playtime Ends. This will provide a warning before the time limit is reached, helping your child manage their time better.

5. Online Interaction Controls

Managing Communication with Other Players

Online gaming can expose children to potentially harmful interactions, including inappropriate language, cyberbullying, or contact with strangers. You can restrict who your child communicates with while online.

To restrict communication:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select the child’s account, then navigate to Communication and User-Generated Content.
Set restrictions based on your preferences:
- Restrict Chat: Prevent your child from voice, video, or text chatting with players not in their friends list.
- Restrict User-Generated Content: Prevent access to in-game content shared by other users.

Restricting Friend Requests and Messages

You can limit who can send your child friend requests and messages, providing a safer online experience.

To restrict friend requests and messages:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Choose your child’s account and navigate to Communication and User-Generated Content.
Set limits for Who Can Send Messages and Who Can Send Friend Requests.

These settings allow you to restrict interaction to trusted friends or family members.

Controlling Participation in Multiplayer Games

Multiplayer games allow children to interact with other players online, which can be risky without proper supervision.

To limit multiplayer participation:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select the child’s account, then navigate to Multiplayer settings.
Set Restrict Multiplayer Games to control whether your child can play with others online.

6. Controlling Purchases and Spending

Setting Spending Limits for Child Accounts

You can set spending limits on in-game purchases, microtransactions, and store purchases.

To set a spending limit:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Select the child’s account and navigate to Spending Limit.
Set a daily or monthly spending limit based on your budget.

Restricting Payments and In-App Purchases

To prevent unauthorized purchases, you can block payments altogether or require approval for each purchase.

To block or approve purchases:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
Choose the child’s account and navigate to Spending settings.
Toggle Require Approval for Purchases.

This setting allows you to approve purchases from your own account before they are charged.

Approving or Blocking Purchases

If your child tries to make a purchase, you can approve or decline it through email or the PlayStation app.

7. Privacy and Data Settings

Managing Data Collection and Sharing

The PS5 collects certain data to improve user experience, but you can control what data is collected from child accounts.

To manage data sharing:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Data Collection.
Choose the child’s account and limit data collection based on privacy preferences.

Limiting Access to Personal Information

To protect your child’s privacy, limit the personal information visible to other players.

To adjust privacy settings:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Privacy Settings.
Choose Personal Information and set it to Friends Only or No One.

Protecting Identity and Profile Visibility

You can manage who sees your child’s profile information by adjusting visibility settings in the privacy controls.

8. Using Parental Controls on Other Devices

You can manage PS5 parental controls remotely using other devices like your smartphone.

Managing Controls from the PlayStation App

To manage parental controls from your phone:

Download the PlayStation App from the App Store or Google Play.
Sign in with your PSN account, then navigate to Settings > Family Management.
From here, you can control restrictions and monitor activity.

Using PlayStation’s Website for Family Settings

You can also manage family settings by logging into your PlayStation account at account.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com.

9. Bypassing and Modifying Parental Controls

Setting a Parental Control PIN

To prevent children from bypassing restrictions, set a parental control PIN.

To set a PIN:

Go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions.
Set a unique, secure PIN that only you know.

Adjusting or Removing Restrictions

You can adjust or remove parental control settings as your child grows older or becomes more responsible.

To adjust restrictions:

Navigate to Family Management and select the child’s account.
Modify restrictions as needed based on age and maturity.

Recovering a Forgotten PIN

If you forget your PIN, you can reset it through your PSN account or the PlayStation website.

10. Advanced Tips for Managing Your Child’s PS5 Experience

Monitoring Activity Reports

You can generate reports on your child’s gaming activity to see what games they’re playing and how much time they’re spending.

To view reports:

Go to Settings > Family Management and select the child’s account.
Check the Activity Report section for detailed insights.

Managing Cross-Platform Gaming

Some games offer cross-platform play with PC or other consoles, which may increase exposure to online communities. Adjust settings for individual games to ensure they’re safe.

Ensuring Safe YouTube and Streaming Access

You can restrict access to YouTube and streaming platforms to ensure your child doesn’t encounter inappropriate content.

11. Common Issues and Troubleshooting Parental Controls

Troubleshooting Parental Control Restrictions

If restrictions aren’t working as expected, try restarting the console or reconfiguring settings through the PlayStation website.

Fixing Incorrect Age Ratings

Sometimes, a game might be miscategorized. You can manually set restrictions for specific games through Family Management.

Handling Errors with Multiple Accounts

If multiple accounts are causing errors, ensure that each account has unique restrictions and isn’t being overridden by another account.

12. Final Thoughts: Maintaining a Balanced Gaming Environment

Parental controls are a valuable tool for managing your child’s gaming experience. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these settings will help create a safe and enjoyable environment for them to learn, play, and grow. By using the PS5’s robust Family Management features, you can ensure that your child remains protected from inappropriate content, harmful online interactions, and excessive gaming time while still allowing them to enjoy the benefits of gaming responsibly.

Filed in: Tech

Previous article How should you take care of and maintain leather furniture?