PlayStation launches new Family App amid rising concerns over kids’ gaming habits
The app could also reduce friction between parents and kids by making the limits more transparent.
PlayStation is taking a fresh swing at family-friendly gaming with the launch of its new PlayStation Family app for iOS and Android. The app, which works with both PS5 and PS4 consoles, gives parents a more accessible way to monitor and manage their children’s gaming habits.
While parental controls have long been available directly on consoles, this new tool moves the process onto a smartphone, making it easier to keep track of what kids are playing without needing to dive into clunky system menus.
According to PlayStation’s announcement, the app comes with a range of customizable features: parents can view an activity report, approve extra playtime requests, manage spending in the PlayStation Store, and adjust privacy settings on their child’s account.
It even walks parents through the process of creating child accounts, a feature that many have found confusing in the past. In short, it’s designed to remove some of the friction from what has often been an underused but important feature set.
Source: PlayStation YouTube
The timing for this update is notable. Data shows that gaming isn’t just a hobby for children; it’s a major part of their daily lives. During the pandemic, a study by the National Library of Medicine found adolescents were averaging around 18 hours of gaming per week, or roughly two and a half hours a day.
In Australia, a 2024 report by the University of Sydney revealed that children aged 4 to 18 who play Roblox were spending about 137 minutes a day on the platform, while a survey from India showed that nearly 60 percent of urban kids were using social media, streaming platforms, or gaming for three hours daily. These numbers reflect a larger global trend that gaming is no longer just an after-school activity; it’s central to how kids spend their time.
Yet while parental controls are available, many families don’t fully take advantage of them. Studies by the Family Online Safety Institute suggest that while more than 80 percent of parents set at least one restriction on their kids’ digital devices, the numbers drop sharply when it comes to game consoles.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
Only about a third of parents actually use the parental control tools built into devices like the PlayStation. On the other hand, app-based parental control usage is on the rise, with around 45 percent of parents now using mobile apps to monitor and guide their kids’ digital activity, up significantly from just a few years ago.
That makes PlayStation’s move all the more relevant. By shifting controls to a phone app, the company is aligning with how parents are already adapting to the realities of digital parenting. Features like approving an extra hour of play with a tap, or being able to see what a child is playing at a glance, address two of the biggest complaints parents often raise: lack of flexibility and lack of clarity.
The app could also reduce friction between parents and kids by making the limits more transparent and negotiable, rather than locked away in console settings.
For now, with kids spending multiple hours a day immersed in games, PlayStation is sending a clear message: parental involvement shouldn’t be optional, and it should be as seamless as possible. Whether this app helps parents actually step up and use the controls available to them may be the biggest test of all.
Emmanuel Umahi
