After Microsoft, Nintendo and other companies provided parental control functions on their game consoles, Sony alsoNew PlayStation Family AppFollow-up provides the same functions, allowing parents to more intuitively manage their children's gaming behavior and grasp the game status in real time through mobile phones or tablets.
The PlayStation Family App essentially brings the parental controls that can be set on the PlayStation console to mobile devices, but it also adds some convenient new features. For example, a "guided setup process" can help parents quickly complete account binding, user ratings, and restriction settings, making it more user-friendly for parents who are not accustomed to operating through the console.
After completing the initial setup, parents can implement a variety of controls directly on the phone: including setting daily or weekly game time limits, reviewing their children's play history, managing spending limits for games or apps, and even setting content rating filters to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content. In addition, they can also adjust the openness of online privacy and social functions at the same time.
Sony has also incorporated an instant notification feature into the app, allowing parents to instantly see which games their children are playing and decide whether to extend play time or unlock restricted games. This instant approval/rejection mechanism is expected to become a popular feature for many parents, especially when flexible gaming time is required.
While Sony has finally launched a parental control app, it's a bit behind Microsoft and Nintendo. Microsoft launched the Xbox Family Settings app five years ago, offering similar functionality, while Nintendo launched its parental control app alongside the original Nintendo Switch, earning praise from parents for its intuitive operation.
However, for families of PlayStation players, this app still complements a crucial cross-device management experience. With gaming services spanning consoles, PCs, and mobile devices, real-time management and notifications for underage or school-age players' gaming behavior have become even more crucial. Sony has also enhanced PlayStation Network's parental protection features, allowing parents to complete all operations without logging in through the console, and even intervene in real time from outside the home.
Sony announced that the PlayStation Family app will be rolling out globally in phases starting today. Parents can download the update through the App Store service on iOS and Android devices. If you don't see it available soon, you can install it directly from the official link provided.
