Sony introduces PlayStation Family app for advanced parent control: Here’s how it works

PlayStation Family app

Sony has launched the PlayStation Family app that lets parents manage their children’s gaming activity on PlayStation consoles directly from a mobile device, for iOS and Android. While Sony already allows parents to manage restrictions directly on the PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, this new app provides a more convenient and flexible way to monitor a child’s gaming activity.

The PlayStation Family app is designed to work with existing PlayStation accounts and consoles. It provides parents with greater control and visibility, as well as real-time notifications to keep them informed. The app supports guided onboarding to easily create or link a child’s PlayStation account and allows users to set a daily gaming limit. It can also accept or decline the child’s request for extra game time.

The PlayStation Family app also has a daily and weekly reports section that allows parents to see how much time their children are spending on the console and which games they played the most. It also allows parents to filter games that are not appropriate for their kids. Moreover, parents through the app can block PlayStation’s certain social features and manage monthly spending limits.

Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Family app is available to download from the App Store and Google Play Store, starting September 11. With this release, Sony seems to be complying with the broader industry push, after Nintendo and Microsoft, in providing similar parental control apps for the Switch and Xbox consoles.