The PlayStation 5 isn't just a gaming console — it streams movies, plays Blu-rays, has a web browser, and connects your kid to millions of strangers online. Sony's parental controls are actually pretty robust if you set them up correctly, but most parents either skip important steps or don't know about the gaps.
I'm a cybersecurity professional and father of three. This guide covers everything I'd tell a friend setting up their kid's PS5 — including the stuff other guides leave out, like the unfiltered browser and the default passcode that every kid on TikTok already knows.
1. Setting Up Family Manager & Child Accounts
Everything starts with creating a Family Manager account (yours) and then adding child accounts underneath it. Parental controls only work on child accounts — if your kid is using your account or a standalone account, none of these settings apply.
Create your Family Manager account
If you already have a PSN account, you're the Family Manager. If not, create one on the PS5 by selecting Add User → Create Account and following the prompts. Use your own email and a password your kids don't know.
Add a child account
You can do this on the console or at playstation.com/acct/family. Select Add Family Member → Add a Child. You'll need a separate email for the child (this can be a new one you create specifically for this purpose). Sony charges $0.50 to verify you're an adult.
Don't let your kid use your account
If your child plays on your adult PSN account, parental controls don't apply at all. They'll have unrestricted access to everything — the store, chat, browser, all of it. Every child needs their own child account linked to your Family Manager.
2. Content Restrictions by Age
Sony provides three preset restriction levels — Child, Early Teens, and Late Teens — that automatically configure age ratings for games, Blu-rays, and DVDs. You can also customize each setting individually.
Choose a restriction level
Go to the child's parental controls and select a restriction level. Child is the most restrictive (only E-rated games), Early Teens allows up to T-rated, and Late Teens allows most content except AO-rated. You can then customize individual categories if the preset doesn't match your family's rules.
Set specific age levels for content types
Under the restriction level, you can individually set age ratings for: PS5 games and apps, PS4/PS3 games, Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and PS VR2 usage. Set each one according to your child's age and maturity.
Note that content restrictions apply based on ESRB ratings. Some games may be rated lower than their actual content warrants, so it's worth spot-checking games your child asks to play.
3. Play Time Limits
This is one of the most-used features, and it works well — you can set daily limits and specific playable hours for each day of the week.
Enable play time restrictions
Navigate to the child's Playtime Settings. Toggle Restrict Playtime on. Set your time zone, then configure daily limits. You can choose "Same Every Day" or "By Days of the Week" for different weekday/weekend limits (e.g., 1 hour on school nights, 3 hours on weekends).
Choose what happens when time runs out
Two options: Notify Only (shows a warning but lets them keep playing) or Log Out of PS5 (actually ends the session). For younger kids, "Log Out" is recommended. For teens, "Notify Only" gives them a chance to save their game and stop on their own.
You can manage play time remotely using the PlayStation Family app on your phone. When your child's time runs out, they can send a request for more time directly to the app, and you can approve or decline.
4. Communication & Privacy
Restrict communication features
Under Parental Controls, set Communication and User-Generated Content to Restrict. This disables: text messaging with other players, voice chat in parties, viewing/sharing player-created videos and images, and linking third-party communication apps. For younger children (under 12), full restriction is strongly recommended.
Set privacy to maximum
Sign in to the child's account on the console and go to Settings → Users and Accounts → Privacy. Set the profile to "Solo and Focused" (no player can see their profile or chat) for maximum protection, or "Friend Focused" (only friends) for teens.
If your child plays games like Fortnite or Minecraft that rely on voice chat with friends, you may need to allow communication selectively. The PS5 does allow exception requests — your child can ask permission for specific games, and you approve through the PlayStation Family app.
5. Spending Controls
Set a monthly spending limit
By default, the spending limit is $0.00, which means the child can't purchase anything. If you want to allow some spending, set a monthly cap. This only applies to PlayStation Store purchases — for in-game spending (like V-Bucks in Fortnite), you need to manage that within each game separately.
Recommendation: keep the spending limit at $0 and use the wallet fund approach instead. Add a specific dollar amount to the child's wallet when you want to let them buy something, rather than giving them a recurring allowance.
6. Lock Down the Console Itself
This is where most parents stop — and where most kids start bypassing. If you don't lock down the console-level settings, your child can create a new account, log in as a guest, or change the parental controls themselves.
Change the console restriction passcode from 0000
The default PS5 restriction passcode is 0000. Every kid who has watched a single YouTube video about bypassing parental controls knows this. Change it immediately to something your child can't guess.
Disable new user creation and guest login
Under PS5 Console Restrictions, set User Creation and Guest Login to "Not Allowed". Without this, your child can just create a new unrestricted account or play as a guest with no controls at all.
Set a login passcode on adult accounts
If you have your own PSN account on the same console, add a login passcode to it. Otherwise, your child can just switch to your unrestricted account.
Want all of this verified automatically?
CyberDaddy walks you through every step, confirms your settings are active, and alerts you when something changes — across PS5 and every other device your kids use.
Join the Waitlist — Free7. The Browser Gap (What Most Parents Miss)
Here's the thing most parental control guides don't mention: the PS5 has a built-in web browser, and it has absolutely zero content filtering.
The browser isn't a standalone app you can see on the home screen — it's accessible through links in messages, some games, and certain apps. But once a child opens it, they can browse to any website with no restrictions whatsoever, regardless of what content controls you've set.
PS5's browser has no content filter
Sony's parental controls let you restrict whether the browser can be opened from links, but even when restricted, determined kids find workarounds. The only reliable solution is network-level DNS filtering — which blocks inappropriate domains before they ever reach the PS5.
Restrict web browsing from the console
Under Parental Controls, find Web Browsing and set it to Restrict. This prevents the browser from opening via links in messages and some in-game links. It's not bulletproof, but it closes the easy path.
For actual content filtering on the PS5 browser, you need DNS filtering. This is the single most impactful thing you can do — and it protects the PS5, Roku, smart TVs, and every other device on your network at once.
8. DNS Filtering for PS5 (The Missing Layer)
DNS filtering works at the network level. When any device on your network — including the PS5 — tries to load a website, the DNS filter checks the domain against a blocklist and blocks inappropriate content before it loads. It's invisible to the user and doesn't require any software installed on the PS5.
Set up DNS filtering on your PS5
On the PS5, go to Settings → Network → Set Up Internet Connection. Select your connection, choose Advanced Settings, and change DNS to Manual. Enter your filtering DNS addresses:
Recommended free options:
CleanBrowsing Family Filter (free)
Primary: 185.228.168.168 · Secondary: 185.228.169.168
Blocks adult content, VPN domains, mixed-content sites. Forces SafeSearch on Google/Bing/YouTube.
NextDNS (free up to 300k queries/month)
Custom DNS addresses from your nextdns.io dashboard. More customizable — you choose exactly which categories to block, set time-based rules, and get analytics on what's being blocked. $20/year for unlimited.
For comprehensive DNS filtering that covers your entire home network (not just the PS5), see our guide: Best DNS Filtering for Families: NextDNS vs CleanBrowsing vs OpenDNS.
Frequently Asked Questions
PS5 is just one device.
Your kids also use iPhones, Androids, laptops, and smart TVs — each with their own parental controls. CyberDaddy gives you one dashboard to set up, verify, and monitor all of them.
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