Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it’s launching a dedicated parental controls app called “PlayStation Family” on iOS and Android. The new app features a series of new tools that allow parents to manage their children’s activity on the console, including an activity report, greater visibility into what their children are playing, and the ability to approve extra playtime requests.
While Sony has long offered parental controls, the new app brings all of these tools into one dedicated place for easier access while also adding new ones.
With the new app, parents get notified what game their child is playing in real time and can approve or decline a child’s request for extra playing time or restricted games. They can also set time limits for each day of the week.
The app’s daily and weekly reports allow parents to see how much time they’re spending on the console and which games they played the most.
Additionally, the app’s content filters let parents configure age-appropriate content. Sony notes that there are presets that automatically apply recommended settings for different age groups and that these settings can be customized to each child.
Parents can also customize privacy settings and manage access to social features. Plus, they can manage spending activity by adding funds, viewing balances, and setting a monthly spending limit.
The launch of the new app comes as there has been a broader industry push toward enhancing child safety in gaming.
In recent weeks, Roblox, a platform whose user base is made up of 40% children aged 12 and under, has come under fire over claims that it fails to protect young users. Roblox responded to the backlash by expanding its age-estimation technology to all users and partnering with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) to provide age and content ratings for the games and apps on its platform.
