ARAnd so begins another generation of gaming consoles. With every new launch comes so much excitement from young people and adults, along with the traditional rush to try and secure one for Christmas. But as we set ourselves up for a new gaming experience, you may be wondering which one is best suited for the family.
Luckily, Playstation and Xbox incorporate a variety of settings to help you work towards keeping your console in control.
This week we’ll be looking at the Playstation 5.
How to Setup a Lead Account on Playstation 5?
If you are a parent or guardian, you may want to give yourself control over what is allowed on your new console. Setting yourself up as the lead account holder can allow you to create Child Accounts for the rest of the family which are then managed by you, the Family Manager. Doing this also gives you options to implement such as:
- Restricting screen-time
- Controlling purchases and spending limits
- Disabling voice chat and text messages
- Restricting access to certain media and blocking content
To create a lead account as the Family Manager, you will need to sign up to the Playstation Network. It’s free to set up and you won’t need to provide any payment information if you don’t want to.
Go to the home screen on your PS5 and select the profile picture, click the Switch User button and then Add User. From there, you will be able to create a new account by putting in some basic information, such as your Name, Date of Birth, Address and chosen Password. You can find out more about Password Management here.
Please Note: If you had a PS4, you can use the previous logins for your account. This will be transferred over to your PS5.
How to Create Child Accounts on Playstation 5?
Now you’re set up as the family manager, you can create individual accounts for other members of the family. To do this, you’ll need to log into your Playstation Network account online. You'll be able to do this on your laptop, phone or tablet.
Once logged in, go to your Account Management and select Family Management. From there, you can select Add a Family Member and you have the option to Add a Child. By entering the family member’s name and date of birth, a new account will be created for them.
Please Note: You can also add an adult family member, however, this requires adding in an email address for them.
Where to Find Parental Controls on Playstation 5?
If you access your Account and go into Family Management, you can choose which Child Account you want to edit. Each Child Account can have their own specifications so you can set certain restrictions depending on age, maturity etc.
You’ll be given a list of options to edit. This is entirely up to you and will be automatically put in place once set. The options include:
- Setting play-time restrictions
- Arranging spending limits
- Setting age rating levels for media
- Disabling online communication
- Setting permissions on games and communication with other players.
- Disabling Internet browsing and VR
You also have the option to set predetermined restrictions based on the age group. These include Child, Early Teens and Late Teens. Make sure you are satisfied with what is arranged before accepting these options.
You can follow the step by step guide from Sony right here
How to Prevent Others from Changing any Settings on Playstation 5?
As an extra layer of protection you can also set up a passcode which will protect your parental controls from the rest of the family. To do this, you’ll need to be on your console and access Settings. Go into the Family and Parental Controls section and click on PS5 Console Restrictions.
Here you’ll need to put in the default passcode which is 0000. From there, you have the option to change the passcode to something only you will know and most importantly, remember! Setting this up will make this your new passcode for future access.
As well as this, you can also prevent a family member from creating a new account by selecting User Creation and Guest Login and then set it to Not Allowed.
You can follow the step by step guide from Sony right here
Safety Considerations when Playing on a new Games Console
Most importantly though, ensuring your new games console is fun for the whole family, it’s important to let members be aware of the risks associated with playing on a new games console. Explaining why parental controls and security measures may be needed is an important step forward in bringing online safety discussions to the household.
The good thing about parental controls is that they can be adjusted as time goes on. Having restrictions in place that are slowly lifted, allows family members to understand what responsibility is needed when gaming which in turn, adds to their growth and development.
If you haven’t yet got your hands on a PS5, we still have guidance on the PS4 and Xbox One.
