LONDON, April 21, 2026, 20:33 BST
- Starting June 2026, Sony says adult PlayStation account holders in the UK and Ireland will have to verify their age or they’ll lose access to communications and certain sharing features.
- Sony said players can keep playing games and using the PlayStation Store, even if they skip the check.
- Xbox rolled out comparable age checks in the UK earlier, as tightening online-safety rules prompt more platforms to adopt verification measures.
Starting June 2026, Sony is set to ask PlayStation users with adult accounts in the UK and Ireland to confirm their age or face restrictions. Without verification, users risk losing features like voice chat, messages, parties, Discord voice chat, broadcasting, and certain in-game user content, the company said on its support page.
Sony has begun alerting players ahead of the June change, giving one of the strongest indications yet that console gaming is set to face the same age-verification rules now standard in social media, streaming, and adult-content platforms.
The UK’s Online Safety Act is turning up the heat on tech platforms, demanding proof they’re keeping kids safe from dangerous material. Ofcom says its initial set of new rules has kicked in, and it’s ready to crack down on any services that fail to meet the compliance timetable.
Sony stated that unverified users will still have access to games, non-communication features, the PlayStation Store, and purchasing options. However, according to the company, communication features will stay locked until users finish the verification process.
PlayStation consoles and the PS App will see disruptions across several communication features, including voice and text chat, parties, group sessions, and messaging. Discord voice chat, as well as third-party or connected communication, are also impacted, along with gameplay broadcasting to YouTube or Twitch.
Certain games might limit in-game chat or user-generated content—UGC, material players upload or share within a game. Sony noted the effects will depend on the title, and these could shift if games update their systems.
The company relies on Yoti for age verification. According to Sony’s support page, users have three options: verify with a mobile phone, use a facial scan, or provide an ID—passport, driving licence, or national ID.
Sony stated that Yoti handles the data, and PlayStation just gets the outcome of the age scan. According to the company, Yoti erases facial geometry once the check wraps up. PlayStation neither receives nor saves that facial geometry, it added.
Despite some headlines suggesting otherwise, the restriction isn’t a total console lockout. According to a Sony email quoted by GamingBible, users who skip verification can still play games, check trophies, adjust settings, and browse the PlayStation Store—they just won’t be able to use certain online communication features listed in the notice.
Sony’s real challenge lies in pulling this off. Age verification systems bring up privacy headaches, not to mention glitches and customer support headaches. Some restrictions might even depend on individual games, so players will only learn what’s blocked or allowed after June, title by title, according to Sony.
Microsoft took similar steps for Xbox users in the UK earlier this year. In a July 2025 announcement, Kim Kunes, Xbox’s vice president of gaming trust and safety, said UK players will have to verify their age starting in early 2026 or risk losing access to Xbox social features—voice and text chat, game invites, and more.
It’s still uncertain if PlayStation’s age verification will get a wider release. According to a Sony Interactive Entertainment email seen by GameSpot, the company is telling players they’ll be required to confirm their age later this year if they want to keep using PlayStation’s communication tools, citing “global regulations.” Sony’s official support page, though, only mentions a June rollout for adult accounts in the UK and Ireland. GameSpot
