To block mature games, use a child or family account rather than relying on a shared adult profile. On PlayStation, open the family-management controls on the console (or use Sony’s web and mobile tools); on Xbox, manage the child’s Microsoft family account in the Xbox Family Settings app; on Nintendo Switch, use the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smartphone app. Choose the age category used in your country, then handle online communication, user-generated content, spending, and exceptions as separate settings.
The exact result depends on the console’s scope. PlayStation and Xbox apply most restrictions to a child profile, while Nintendo Switch’s app applies software restrictions to the console. Rating systems also differ by region, so an ESRB “M” setting in the United States is not a universal equivalent of a CERO, IARC, or PEGI threshold.
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What you need before changing a setting
Have the parent or family-manager account credentials ready, and update the console and companion app before beginning. Create a separate child account when the platform supports one; Sony specifically advises using separate accounts and entering the child’s accurate date of birth. A child account keeps the restriction attached to the right person instead of imposing it on every adult who uses the console.
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- Decide whether you want a block or an exception. A rating limit can prevent a game from launching, while an exception may allow one approved title without raising the general limit.
- Plan for separate communication rules. Voice chat, messaging, user-created content, and spending are often controlled independently of whether a game meets the age threshold.
- Use a PIN or passcode that children do not know. Otherwise a console-level setting can be changed without your approval.
Age ratings describe content suitability, not how difficult a game is. PlayStation states that “Age ratings for games have nothing to do with the difficulty of the game” and recommends checking the rating before a child plays. See PlayStation’s explanation of age ratings.
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How the three systems differ
| Platform | Where you change game restrictions | Scope | Rating and exception details |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management; web account tools and the PlayStation Family app are also available. | Child account within the family. | Game age level plus other restrictions; PS5 can present requests for exceptions. |
| PlayStation 4 | Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management. | Child account within the family. | Game age level and related restrictions. |
| Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One | Parent-facing Xbox Family Settings app, using the Microsoft family group. | Child account; family settings can also apply to Windows PCs when the family-group setup supports it. | Content, screen time, spending, activity, and request controls. Menu wording can vary by app version. |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smartphone app. | Console-wide for software restrictions, not a separate limit for each Switch user. | Preset age categories or custom settings; US guidance uses ESRB ratings and allows selected-game whitelisting. |
Do not treat the labels in this table as a single worldwide scale. A local rating board determines the label shown on the store page or package, and the platform applies its own regional categories.
PlayStation 5: restrict mature games for a child account
Open the child’s family settings
- Sign in with the family manager account on the PS5.
- Open Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
- Select the child’s account. If the child is not listed, add or finish setting up the child account before changing restrictions.
- Choose the control for games and content, then select the age level that matches the rating you are willing to allow. Review the other available restrictions while you are in the profile.
Use Sony’s PlayStation parental-control instructions for the current account requirements and control descriptions. The child account should have completed email verification and be signed in on the console.
Handle an exception request
PS5 supports reviewing requests for exceptions to an age limit. Keep the general age level at the restriction you want, then approve an individual request only when you have checked that title’s rating and descriptors. An exception is not the same as raising the child’s overall limit.
Make the change take effect
If the child is already playing when you change a restriction, Sony says the child should sign out and sign back in before the new setting takes effect. Close the game, sign out of the child account, sign back in, and test with the title that should now be blocked or allowed.
PlayStation 4: use Family Management
- Sign in as the family manager.
- Go to Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management.
- Select the child’s account.
- Change the game and content age level, then review communication, spending, and other restrictions separately.
PS4 uses the same family-account idea as PS5, but the menu begins with “Parental Controls/Family Management.” If a child can still open a title after the change, verify that the child is using the restricted account rather than an adult account and have the child sign out and back in.
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Web and mobile management
Sony also provides family management through PlayStation Account Management on the web and the PlayStation Family app. These options are useful when the family manager is not at the console, but they still target the child account; they do not turn an adult profile into a restricted one.
Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One: use the Xbox Family Settings app
Set up the family relationship
- Install and sign in to the parent-facing Xbox Family Settings app.
- Use the Microsoft family group that contains the child’s account. Add the child to that family group if necessary.
- Open the child’s profile and locate the content-settings area.
- Choose the game-content level shown by your current app version, allowing only the age or rating you consider appropriate.
- Save the change, then have the child sign in again on the Xbox if the console still has the previous permission cached.
Microsoft’s Xbox Family Settings App overview confirms support for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One child accounts, content settings, activity reports, screen-time schedules, spending controls, and requests. The same family-group arrangement can extend settings to Windows PCs where supported.
Because the available Xbox documentation does not expose a stable, button-by-button list of the current age-selector labels, do not rely on a memorized menu name. Open the child’s profile and use the content setting that is visibly presented in your app. If the app version shows ratings or age categories, select the threshold you want; if it presents a broader content permission, read the description before saving.
Use requests instead of raising the general limit
Activity and request features let a child ask for more time, content, or a purchase without giving the child unrestricted access. Review the request in the parent account, inspect the game’s local rating and descriptors, and approve only that request when appropriate.
Keep screen time and communication separate
A game-content limit answers whether the child may access a title. Screen-time schedules answer when the console may be used, while communication and multiplayer permissions govern interaction with other players. Configure each category in the family app rather than assuming a mature-game block also disables chat or user-created content.
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Nintendo Switch: set software limits in the smartphone app
Connect the console and app
- Install the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on the parent’s smartphone.
- Link the app to the Nintendo Switch following Nintendo’s pairing instructions, and create a parental-controls PIN.
- Open the software-restriction or age-level setting in the app.
- Choose a preset age category or select custom settings. In the US, Nintendo says playable-game restrictions can be based on ESRB age ratings.
- Save the setting and enter the PIN when changing it on the console.
Nintendo’s US guidance also allows a parent to whitelist a specific game from the restricted-software setting. Use that exception only after checking the title yourself; it permits that selected software without changing the general restriction for other games.
Understand the Switch’s console-wide scope
Nintendo’s Japanese support documentation explains that restrictions apply to the console, not individually to users. A shared Switch therefore needs a level that works for the youngest player. If an older child needs a more permissive setting, consider using a separate console rather than repeatedly changing one shared console’s restriction.
Regional rating systems on Switch
Nintendo’s rating categories vary by market. The US page refers to ESRB ratings, while Nintendo Japan documents CERO and IARC thresholds. In the Japan-specific examples, the “幼児” category blocks CERO B or higher and IARC 12+ or higher; “小学生” blocks CERO C or higher and IARC 16+ or higher; “中学・高校生” blocks CERO D or higher and IARC 18+ or higher. These are Japan settings and must not be converted into US ESRB equivalents. Check the rating printed on your local package or shown on your local eShop listing.
For additional Japanese app-setting details, see Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app support page and its setting-change instructions.
How to choose the right threshold
Start with the local rating and descriptors
Look at both the age category and the content descriptors. Two games with the same age label can raise different concerns: one may emphasize violence, another strong language or gambling. A lower threshold is appropriate when you want every title above that category blocked automatically; a higher threshold shifts more of the review work to you.
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Do not confuse age with difficulty
An “M,” “18,” or equivalent label does not mean a game is mechanically difficult, and a lower-rated game is not necessarily easy. Ratings describe the content presented to the player, not the skill required to finish it.
Check digital and physical copies
PlayStation says digital and streaming ratings appear on the PlayStation Store product-detail screen, while physical discs carry the rating on their packaging. Check the local listing for a digital purchase and the package for a disc; regional releases can carry different ratings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Controls that mature-game blocking does not cover
Use the following controls in addition to the game-age setting:
- Online communication: restrict voice chat, text messaging, invitations, and contact with strangers when the platform offers those controls.
- User-generated content: limit community creations, shared videos, mods, or other player-made material where available.
- Purchases and spending: require family-manager approval or disable purchases for the child account.
- Screen time: set schedules or daily limits independently of which games are allowed.
- Web access and privacy: review browser, profile-visibility, and friend-request settings if your console exposes them.
These settings can be stricter or looser than the game-age threshold. A child may be allowed to launch an age-appropriate game while still being blocked from voice chat or purchases.
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Troubleshooting when a mature game still launches
The child is using the wrong profile
Check the account name displayed on the console before testing. An adult or family-manager account generally has different permissions. Sign out of every adult profile and test while signed in as the child.
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The setting has not refreshed
On PlayStation, sign the child out and back in after changing the control. On Xbox, close the game and reconnect the child account to the family app if the app shows an unsaved or pending state. On Switch, sync the app and console and enter the parental-controls PIN when prompted.
The game’s regional rating is different
Read the rating on the local store page or physical packaging. Do not infer a US ESRB result from a Japanese CERO or IARC label, or vice versa. A rating threshold can appear to “fail” when the platform is applying a different regional scale.
The title is an approved exception
Review the exception or whitelist list. PS5 can present individual exception requests, and Nintendo Switch can whitelist selected software. Remove the exception if the game should return to the general block.
You blocked the game but not its online features
Review communication and user-generated-content permissions separately. A game-age control is not a universal internet-safety switch.
A practical setup checklist
- Create or verify the child account and accurate birth date.
- Confirm the family manager or parent account is the one making the change.
- Identify the rating system used in your country.
- Set the game-age threshold on the correct platform path or app.
- Set communication, user-generated-content, spending, and screen-time rules independently.
- Choose a private PIN or passcode.
- Test with the child account after signing out and back in where required.
- Review any exception, whitelist, or approval request before allowing a mature title.
The Bottom Line
Use a child profile on PlayStation or Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app for a shared Switch. Set the lowest local rating category you are comfortable with, then configure chat, user-generated content, spending, and screen time separately. Always read the rating system used in your region before approving an exception.
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