Quick answer: Every major console has free parental controls you can run from your phone. On PS5, go to Settings, Family and Parental Controls, Family Management. On Xbox, use the free Xbox Family Settings app. On Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, use the free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. The most important setting isn’t play time, it’s who can talk to your child: limit voice and text chat first, then set age ratings, spending limits and time limits.
Part of our Kids’ Online Safety guides: phones, watches, games and apps.
Table of Contents
PS5 vs Xbox vs Switch Parental Controls at a Glance
| Control | PS5 | Xbox | Switch / Switch 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where to set it | Console settings, PS Family app or web | Xbox Family Settings app | Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app |
| Age ratings for games | Yes | Yes (content settings) | Yes, by age or ESRB rating |
| Limit chat with others | Yes, text and voice | Yes, communication and multiplayer settings | Yes, per game or for all; GameChat with approved friends on Switch 2 |
| Play time limits | Yes, daily playtime | Yes, schedule for each day | Yes, daily limit, can suspend the game |
| Spending limits | Monthly limit, starts at 0 | Ask to Buy, view spending | Restrict eShop purchases |
| Activity reports | Not described on Sony’s page | Daily and weekly reports | Daily and monthly play time |
The Most Important Setting: Who Can Talk to Your Child
Time limits get the attention, but chat is where the real risk is: online chat lets strangers reach your child directly.
- Regulators agree. In 2022, the FTC said the maker of Fortnite “put children and teens at risk” with default settings that turned on live voice and text chat. The company agreed to a $275 million penalty under the children’s privacy law COPPA, and the order requires voice and text chat for kids and teens to be “turned off by default.”
- Start strict, then loosen. Allow chat only with friends you know, and review friend requests yourself.
- Turn off sharing. All three consoles let you limit screenshots, clips and user-generated content.
For how AI fakes and fake profiles are used to trick people, see our guide to AI scams.
How to Set Up Parental Controls on PS5
According to Sony’s PS5 parental controls page:
- 1. Set up a family. Create a family and add your child as a family member. Your child needs to verify their email and be signed in on the console for controls to work.
- 2. Open the controls. On the console go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management and select your child. You can also use the PS Family app or Account Management on the web.
- 3. Set age levels for games and apps, and for Blu-ray and DVD.
- 4. Limit chat: “Communication and User-Generated Content” restricts text and voice chat with other players and sharing or viewing content. Sony says pre-written in-game messages stay allowed.
- 5. Set playtime: daily playtime limits, and change playtime for today when needed.
- 6. Check spending: the monthly spending limit starts at 0, and purchases come from the family manager’s wallet.
- 7. Block the web browser, and decide on PlayStation VR. Sony says PS VR and PS VR2 are “not for use by children under 12 years.”
How to Set Up Parental Controls on Xbox
Microsoft’s Xbox Family Settings app is free on iOS and Android:
- 1. Add your child to your family group in the app. Their Xbox profile must be signed in with the same child account for settings to apply.
- 2. Set screen time: a separate schedule for each child and each day of the week. You can pause play any time.
- 3. Set content limits by age.
- 4. Choose who they can play and talk with online, and review friend requests. Children can “Ask a parent” to add a friend.
- 5. Turn on Ask to Buy: you get a notification when your child wants something they can’t afford, and you can see their spending history.
- 6. Check activity reports each week to see time spent and games played.
Good to know: Microsoft says the settings apply to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and screen time and content limits can also cover Windows PCs. They don’t extend to mobile gaming.
How to Set Up Parental Controls on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
Nintendo’s free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app works with both Switch and Switch 2:
- 1. Download the app and sign in with the parent’s Nintendo Account (18 or older).
- 2. Link it to the console and set a PIN only you know.
- 3. Set a daily play time limit. You can choose to have the game suspended automatically when time is up.
- 4. Restrict games by age or ESRB rating, and allow specific games as exceptions.
- 5. Limit communication: restrict messaging, image sharing and in-game communication, for all games or one game at a time.
- 6. Restrict purchases on the Nintendo eShop.
Switch 2 GameChat: Nintendo says a parent must set up GameChat for players under 16. They can only chat with friends a parent has approved, video chat needs parent approval each time, and parents can see who their child played with and for how long.
Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft Have Their Own Settings
Console settings control the console. Big online games have their own accounts, friend lists and chat settings, and those need setting too:
- Roblox: set up parental controls on the Roblox account itself, including chat and spending.
- Fortnite: since the FTC order, voice and text chat for kids and teens must be off by default, but check the settings on your child’s Epic account.
- Minecraft: the Xbox Family Settings app has an “Enable Minecraft” option, so you can allow Minecraft while blocking other online multiplayer.
We’re writing step-by-step guides for each of these games next.
The 10-Minute Console Safety Checklist
- Create a separate child account. Never let your child use yours.
- Set a parent PIN or password your child has never seen.
- Limit chat to approved friends only.
- Set age ratings that match your child’s age.
- Set the spending limit to 0, or use Ask to Buy.
- Set a daily play time and a bedtime.
- Block the web browser on the console.
- Put the console in a shared room, not the bedroom, if you can.
Doing the same on phones and tablets? See our guides to parental controls on iPhone and the best tablets for kids.
How We Researched This Guide
We didn’t set these controls up on each console ourselves. This guide follows Sony’s PS5 parental controls page, Microsoft’s Xbox Family Settings app page, Nintendo’s Parental Controls page and the FTC’s December 2022 announcement, all checked on October 17, 2026. Menu names change with system updates, so if something looks different on your console, tell us and we’ll update this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up parental controls on PS5?
On the console, go to Settings, Family and Parental Controls, Family Management, then select your child. You can also use the PS Family app or Account Management on the web. Your child needs their own account in your family, and Sony says the monthly spending limit starts at 0.
How do I set up parental controls on Xbox?
Download the free Xbox Family Settings app on iOS or Android, add your child to your family group, then set screen time, content limits, spending and who they can play with. Microsoft says the settings apply to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and screen time and content limits can also cover Windows PCs.
How do I set up parental controls on Nintendo Switch?
Download the free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, link it to your Switch or Switch 2, and set a PIN. You can set daily play time limits, restrict games by age, limit communication and see daily play time reports.
Can my child chat with strangers on a console?
Yes, unless you limit it. All three consoles let you restrict text and voice chat. On Switch 2, Nintendo says players under 16 can only use GameChat with friends a parent approves, and video chat needs parent approval each time.
Do console parental controls work in Roblox and Fortnite?
Only partly. Console settings can limit online play, spending and play time, but games like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft have their own account settings for chat and friends. Set both.
How do I stop my child spending money on games?
Set a spending limit. Sony says the PS5 monthly limit starts at 0, Xbox’s Ask to Buy sends you a request when your child wants something they can’t afford, and the Switch app lets you restrict eShop purchases. Don’t save your card on your child’s account.
Sources
- PlayStation: PS5 parental controls and spending limits
- Xbox: Xbox Family Settings app
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch Parental Controls
- FTC: Fortnite video game maker Epic Games to pay more than half a billion dollars (December 19, 2022)
