PlayStation Begins UK and Ireland Age Verification Checks

Sony Interactive Entertainment is writing to all UK and Ireland users to request they verify their age as part of the company’s commitment to creating “safe, age-appropriate experiences for players and families.”

In an email seen by IGN, Sony said that as part of its “compliance with global regulations,” UK players would need to “verify your age later this year to continue using PlayStation communication features.” This means that while you’ll still be able to play games, collect trophies, and visit the PlayStation Store as usual, unverified UK players will not be able to access features like messages and voice chat.

Players are invited to verify their age either by facial scan, ID, or a mobile number, although these verification methods can vary depending upon your “country or region.” (Having received the email myself yesterday, however, I was unable to verify my age via my mobile/cell number due to “server timed out” errors, regardless of what device or browser I used).

Interestingly, while Sony insists the need to verify your age isn’t needed until an unspecified date “later this year,” Eurogamer reports that some players have already received in-console prompts when trying to access communication features on PS5.

The need for UK users to verify their age stems from the UK Online Safety Act, which went into force last summer. Consequently, any service through which you can communicate or play with others — such as Steam, Xbox, Discord, PlayStation, Nintendo, and more — will eventually require age checks.

This won’t impact U.S. users, of course, but a similar initiative started by Discord earlier this year did initially intend to include U.S. users. After applying age verification checks for users in the UK and Australia earlier this year, Discord announced plans to roll out age restrictions globally. However, the reaction to that announcement was swift and negative, and users were quick to point out that government ID information was stolen from one of Discord’s former age verification vendors last year.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.