KOODOO’s Guide to PS5 Parental Controls: Essential Tips for a Safer Gaming Experience

Ensuring a safe and age-appropriate gaming environment for your children is paramount. The PlayStation 5 (PS5) offers robust parental control features that allow you to tailor your child's gaming experience to align with your family's values and guidelines. Here's a comprehensive guide on the PS5's parental control features and how to utilize them effectively.

Setting Up Parental Controls on PS5

To begin, you'll need to create a family account and add your child's profile as a family member. This setup enables you to manage various restrictions and monitor activities.

Steps to Set Up Family Management:

1. Navigate to Settings:

   • Turn on your PS5 and log in to your account.
   • Go to the Settings menu (represented by a gear icon) on the top-right corner of the home screen.

2. Access Family and Parental Controls:

   • Select Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.

3. Add Family Members:

   • Follow the on-screen instructions to add a child account to your family.

Once the family setup is complete, you can customize the parental controls for each child account.

Key Parental Control Features

1. Age Restrictions for Games and Media

You can set age restrictions to ensure your child accesses content suitable for their age.

How to Set Age Restrictions:

1. In Family Management, select your child's account.
2. Choose Parental Controls > Age Level for Games and Apps.
3. Set the appropriate age level based on content ratings.

On PS5, parents and guardians also have the ability to allow or deny exception requests from their children to override age restrictions for specific games as they see necessary.

2. Playtime Settings

Manage how long your child can play each day to promote a balanced lifestyle.

How to Set Playtime Limits:

1. In Family Management, select your child's account.
2. Choose Playtime Settings.
3. Set the desired playtime duration for weekdays and weekends.

You can also award extra time on weekends or special occasions.

3. Communication and Content Sharing Restrictions

Control your child's ability to interact with other players and share content.

How to Restrict Communications:

1. In Family Management, select your child's account.
2. Choose Communication and User-Generated Content.
3. Set to Not Allowed to restrict communication and content sharing.

This setting helps prevent exposure to inappropriate content and interactions.

4. Spending Limits

Manage your child's spending on the PlayStation Store to prevent unauthorized purchases.

How to Set Spending Limits:

1. In Family Management, select your child's account.
2. Choose Parental Controls > Monthly Spending Limit.
3. Set the maximum amount your child can spend each month.

By default, the monthly spending limit is set to 0, so adjust this setting if you allow purchases.

5. Web Browser Restrictions

Disable access to the PS5 web browser to limit exposure to unsuitable websites.

How to Restrict Web Browser Access:

1. In Family Management, select your child's account.
2. Choose Parental Controls > Use of Internet Browser.
3. Set to Not Allowed to disable browser access.

This ensures a safer online environment for your child.

Monitoring and Adjusting Settings

You can monitor your child's activity and adjust settings as needed. Notifications can alert you to any changes or requests from your child.

Accessing Parental Controls Remotely:

• Use the PlayStation App on your smartphone.
• Log in to Account Management on a web browser.

Regularly reviewing and updating these settings ensures that your child's gaming experience remains safe and enjoyable.

Conclusion

The PS5's parental control features provide comprehensive tools to create a secure and appropriate gaming environment for your children. By utilizing these settings, you can have peace of mind knowing that your child's PlayStation experience aligns with your family's guidelines and expectations.