Start with a real child account
Do not give a younger child unrestricted access to your adult PlayStation or Xbox profile and then expect the console to know which restrictions to apply.
PlayStation says child accounts sit under a family manager’s adult account. Xbox similarly uses family groups so parents can manage a child’s settings.
PlayStation: set the age level for games
On PS5, go to Settings, then Family and Parental Controls, then Family Management. Select the child and choose the parental controls you want to set.
PlayStation allows parents to set an age level for games and apps. Its preset restriction levels also apply age-appropriate limits automatically.
PlayStation: restrict communication and shared content
PlayStation’s Communication and User-Generated Content restriction can disable text and voice chat with other players and prevent a child seeing another player’s user-generated content through covered PlayStation features.
That user-generated content can include screenshots, gameplay clips and broadcasts.
PlayStation: check spending
A child’s PlayStation Store spending limit is set to zero by default. Parents can choose a different monthly limit through Family Management or the PlayStation Family app.
That is useful beyond GTA 6. Stored payment methods and unrestricted adult accounts can otherwise make accidental or unauthorised spending much easier.
Xbox: create or add the child to your family group
Microsoft’s Xbox Family Settings tools let parents manage children’s console activity from the Xbox Family Settings app or Microsoft Family settings.
Microsoft lists privacy, online purchases, content filters and screen time among the controls parents can personalise.
Do not undermine your own settings
A perfectly configured child profile cannot help much if the child knows the PIN for the unrestricted adult profile or routinely plays signed into a parent’s account.
Keep adult sign-in details private and review family settings occasionally, especially after adding a new console or changing accounts.
Remember what console controls cannot do
Blocking GTA 6 on a console does not block every GTA 6 video on every phone, tablet or television in the house.
Use console restrictions as one part of the plan. Pair them with age-appropriate settings on the services your child uses and a clear conversation about what they can watch and play.
