Being a parent to a child who loves video games is hard, trust me I know. We hear horror stories of kids grabbing a hold of their parent’s banking information and spending an outrageous amount of money on video games and in-game microtransactions. As a parent, it is not only important to keep a check on what your kid is playing but also make sure you don’t let them spend more than you are comfortable with. Thankfully, PlayStation 5 aka PS5 comes with pretty extensive and protective parent controls that will give you complete control over this machine.
In this comprehensive guide I will explain how to set-up parental control on PS5 consoles, how to control spending limits, and some general tips that will help you be vigilant.
PS5 Parental Controls and Spending Limit Guide
According to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Parental Controls and Spending Limits on PlayStation 5 work alongside family management and playtime controls. The system is designed to help you manage all activities on PS5 as well as PlayStation Network, also known as PSN.
To set-up parental controls on PlayStation 5, you first need to create a PSN account. If you already have one, great, if not you can create one from the official PlayStation website through a browser or use your brand new console to create one. All you need is an email address to create your PSN account.
Your account will be the primary or “parent” account on PS5. You’ll then need to create child accounts for each child, the amount depends on how many kids you have. When you set up a child account you’ll automatically become the account manager for all child accounts on your system so no additional steps are required. If someone else sets up the account they can make you the guardian for child accounts which allows you to set-up parental controls and spending limits on PlayStation 5 consoles.
Note: When you set-up parental controls make sure to adjust the settings to prevent child account users from changing parental settings.
How to Set-up Family and Add Child Members
You can add child accounts from your web browser or the console itself. If you are using the web browser, sign in to account management > Family Management > Add Family Member; select “Add a Child.”
On the other hand, if you are using PS5 and want to add child members, sign in to PS5 console as the primary account and go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management > Add Family Member. Now scan the QR code on your mobile device to finalize the process. You can use the same process to add adult members of the family as well.
PS5 Parental Controls Settings Explained
There are 7 options under the parental controls that allow you to restrict or allow activities on the PS5 console. You can restrict access to network features, applications, devices, and control the spending limits. There are 3 preset restriction levels on PlayStation 5 for child accounts – Late Teens and Older, Early Teens, and Child.
- Set-up Age Rating for Games and Movies
- Set Play Time Limits
- Limit Communications and User-generated Content
- Allowed Games
- Set Spending Limits
- Restrict Use of PS5 Browser
- Restrict Use of PSVR
Preset Parental Controls For Late Teens or Older
Using PlayStation 5 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating of the content is the same or lower than the child’s age.
Using PS4/PS3 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating is 15 years and under.
Using Blu-ray Discs
Can use discs if the age rating is 16 years and under.
DVD Access
Not restricted
PSVR Access
Not restricted
Web Browsing
Not restricted
Communication and User-generated Content
Not restricted
Filtering for PlayStation Store content
Restricted
Monthly Spending Limit
No limit
Preset Parental Controls For Early Teens
Using PlayStation 5 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating of the content is the same or lower than the child’s age.
Using PS4/PS3 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating is 12 or 13 years and under.
Using Blu-ray Discs
Can use discs if the age rating is 13 years and under.
DVD Access
Not restricted
PSVR Access
Not restricted
Web Browsing
Restricted
Communication and User-generated Content
Restricted
Filtering for PlayStation Store content
Restricted
Monthly Spending Limit
0
Preset Parental Controls for Child Accounts
Using PlayStation 5 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating of the content is the same or lower than the child’s age.
Using PS4/PS3 Games and Apps
Can start games and apps if the rating is 6 or 7 years and under.
Using Blu-ray Discs
Can use discs if the age rating is 7 years and under.
DVD Access
Not restricted
PSVR Access
Restricted
Web Browsing
Restricted
Communication and User-generated Content
Restricted
Filtering for PlayStation Store content
Restricted
Monthly Spending Limit
0
The settings you see above are presets which means if you do nothing but set your child as a late teen, early teen, or a child, these settings will automatically apply by default. PS5 parental controls allow you to change each of these settings as your liking. The biggest concern, at least for me as a parent, is how much money is being spent. By default, the spending limit is 0 for all non-primary accounts. You set an amount and Sony won’t let your child spend more than the limit.