Sony has announced a new app called PlayStation Family. It is designed to help parents manage their children’s game time on PS5 and PS4.
While age verification is quickly becoming a menace for adult users in some countries, parental controls on devices are actually good, and a much better way to manage the content your kids have access to.
Gaming can become an addiction if left unchecked, I say that as someone who has been gaming for 30 years or so. That said, gaming is a fantastic way to de-stress, and a form of entertainment. Spending too much time on a digital screen can have other adverse effects like causing eye strain. Besides, video games shouldn't cut into children's study time, outdoor play time, reading etc. It's a good idea to enjoy things in moderation.
Sony is not the first console maker to introduce parental controls, as a matter of fact it's the last of the three major players. Microsoft and Nintendo already have a parental control app for the Xbox and Switch, respectively. Still, it's good to have one. PlayStation Family allows parents to create a child's account quickly, and customize the experience.
You can set the playtime limits for each day of the week. Your child can request you for additional playtime from the console, and you can approve or decline the request from your phone or tablet. The PlayStation Family app also has activity reports that you can check on their daily/weekly playtime and activity. The app also displays real-time notifications to let you know what game your child is playing.
Allowing your child to play games for an hour or two can be a good way to reward their efforts in studies, cleaning their room, helping with chores, etc. It's also a nice way to ease them into the world of gaming, and let them discover what they like. The PlayStation Family app has content filters, which can ensure they only have access to age appropriate games, and they don't accidentally run into games with violent or mature content. There are some presets that you can choose from, to automatically apply recommended settings for different age groups, but you can customize the experience. Sony says that parents can also customize privacy settings of their kids' profiles, and to configure how they connect, play, and access social features.
We've all read about nightmares on Roblox, if this app can keep your children safe, that's great. Another bit of news that often makes the headlines is when parents allow kids to access their credit card, and end up running a massive bill thanks to in-app purchases. Sony's PlayStation Family app allows you to restrict the amount of funds your child has access to, with a monthly spending limit for purchasing content from the PlayStation Store. It also lets you add funds when required, check the balance, etc.
Sony's PlayStation Family app is available for iOS and Android devices around the world. (Requires iOS version 14 and Android 8 or higher.)
Do you set up parental controls on your console?
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