PlayStation’s age-gating restrictions are coming to UK consoles

Sony is starting to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act by notifying PlayStation players of its age verification requirements today. PS4 and PS5 owners in the UK and Ireland won’t be able to participate in voice chats, messaging, parties, or other third-party communication services from June unless they verify their age.

“Beginning June 2026, if you have not completed age verification, you can continue playing on PlayStation, but some features won’t be available until you verify your age,” says Sony in a support note. Age verification will also be required for broadcasting features or sharing gameplay to YouTube or Twitch from a PlayStation console.

Sony has partnered with Yoti to handle age verification in the UK and Ireland, and you can verify using a mobile number, face scan, or ID. Sony’s restrictions on social features are similar to how Microsoft rolled out age verification on Xbox last year. Microsoft also uses Yoti to verify age in the UK, and Xbox players need to be over 18 to retain full access to social features like voice or text communication and game invites.

While Sony won’t be requiring age verification for UK and Ireland PlayStation accounts until June, you can verify early and avoid losing access to features. Both Microsoft and Sony are making age verification mandatory in the UK as more parts of the Online Safety Act come into force this year.