Don't Want Your Kids to Play All Night? Here's How to Limit Playtime On Your PlayStation
What has long been a common practice among other manufacturers, Sony is now also allowing it on the PlayStation 4 and 5. With the help of the PlayStation Family app, parents can regain control of the console.
Whether watching videos or playing games, children are so fascinated by screens that it's hard to get them away from them. This is especially true for parents who do not want to deny their children the use of electronic gadgets completely. The major operating systems from Apple, Google, and Microsoft have therefore long since implemented options that allow parents to limit their children's screen time. Even on Nintendo's Switch, the usage time can be limited.
So far, Sony has been an exception here. If you let your children use the PlayStation controller, you had to keep an eye on which games they played and for how long. The manufacturer has now changed this and is using an app that can now be downloaded free of charge from the Apple and Google platforms.
Parental controls for PS4 and PS5 via app
The PlayStation Family App supports the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles and allows users to keep an eye on what is happening in the game at all times. An activity report provides a daily and weekly overview.
A separate account is created in the app for each child, allowing rules to be set individually. This applies, for example, to the daily playtime, which can also be individually extended via the app as required. It is also possible to keep an eye on children's spending in the PlayStation Store. The app can be used to allocate amounts to the stored account, view spending, and set a monthly limit.
Sony is also introducing improvements to parental control with the app. Parents can use a content filter to ensure that children can only try out games that are appropriate for their age. In the default settings, the appropriate settings for the child's respective age are set in advance, allowing for individual adjustments. The options for sharing or playing online can also be restricted. This also applies to access to other social media functions.
- Also interesting: Children Are Being Harmed in Meta’s VR World—Parents Should Be Alarmed
