Tutorials · PlayStation
PS5: set up parental controls, spending limits and play time
Want your child to play on PS5 within clear rules without monitoring every menu? Prepare their account, choose suitable content and schedules, then check the restrictions from their session. The goal is an understandable framework that is actually applied.
Before you start
PS5 models with current system software, a display, controller and Internet connection. You need access to the family manager or an authorised parent/guardian account, a child account in that family and the relevant email access. This guide uses console menus; PlayStation Family provides another way to manage settings.
1. Find the correct child account
If the family has not yet been set up, open PlayStation Account Management in a browser, then Family Management → Set Up Now → Add a Child. In an existing family, use Add Family Member → Add a Child. Follow the prompts without recreating an account that already exists.
Sony distinguishes the family manager, who adds members, from designated parents or guardians who can manage restrictions. On a shared console, agree who handles the rules to avoid contradictory changes.
Prepare three decisions with the child: which games, which interactions and what schedule. The settings are easier to check when everyone understands their purpose.
2. Choose the relevant restrictions
Open Settings → Family and Parental Controls → Family Management and select the child. Adjust age restrictions, then inspect Communication and User-Generated Content.
Selecting Restrict limits features including voice/text messages and shared content, although some preset in-game messages can remain possible. Review the documented effect rather than assuming it blocks every form of interaction.
For purchases, open the child’s parental controls and Monthly Spending Limit. The default is zero; purchases use the family manager’s wallet. Keep zero if you do not want to permit spending.
A blocked game may prompt an exception request. Review it under Allowed Games rather than removing all restrictions to allow one title.
3. Configure play time
The child account needs correct information and a defined time zone. In Family Management, select the child, check the time zone and open play-time settings.
- Enable the play-time restriction.
- Set permitted hours and duration; different days can have different rules.
- Choose what happens at the limit: notification only or logout.
- Save and review the summary.
A notification warns without ending the session. Choose the behaviour that matches your family’s rule. Sony also provides adjustments for today and requests for more time; the account’s PS4 and PS5 use is covered.
Plan the end of play with the child. A warning does not guarantee that a game has saved at that exact moment. Agree on finishing the current activity before the limit.
4. Protect adult access
An unrestricted adult profile can undermine the intended rules. Sony documents three complementary protections.
- From the family manager’s account, open Family and Parental Controls → PS5 Console Restrictions and change the restriction passcode. Its initial value is 0000 if never changed.
- For each adult profile, open Settings → Users and Accounts → Login Settings → Set a PS5 Login Passcode.
- In console restrictions, set User Creation and Guest Login to Not Allowed.
Login and console-restriction passcodes serve different purposes. Store them safely: Sony states that forgetting the restriction passcode requires a console reset. Do not give the child those codes merely to simplify signing in.
5. Check the result with the child
Sony requires the child to have verified their email address and to be signed in. If settings change while they are playing, have them sign out and back in. Account restrictions also apply on the account’s other supported devices.
Expected result: the child uses their own session, the chosen rules appear correctly and adult profiles require their passcodes. Check an allowed action and an appropriate restriction without making a test purchase.
Explain how to request an exception and who will respond. Record the schedule and a review date so the settings remain consistent with the family’s games and routines.
If a setting seems ineffective
- The child is missing: check the family and adult account before creating a duplicate.
- Play continues after the limit: review notification versus logout and the time zone.
- Another profile bypasses the rules: check adult login codes and guest restrictions.
- A communication feature is unavailable: compare the selected restriction with the intended result before diagnosing a microphone fault.
For individual console functions, use the PS5 guides linked alongside this article. A microphone or screen-sharing guide explains that feature; it does not replace the child account’s rules.
Sources and scope
Translated from the French guide based on official documentation checked on 2026-10-15. This guide does not claim physical testing on your equipment. LODEX’s preparation and result checks are practical advice; follow any warnings shown by your device.
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