Microsoft has started rolling out Xbox age verification in Australia. Some users must now confirm their age before buying R18+ rated games on the Xbox and Microsoft Store. A wider deadline follows in August 2026. Microsoft confirmed the change in emails sent to affected accounts over the weekend.
The rule covers both console purchases and PC games bought through the Xbox app, since the same storefront sells titles for both platforms. “Starting August 2026, to comply with Australia regulations, you may need to verify your age before purchasing or accessing apps and games rated 18+ on Microsoft Store and Xbox Store,” the email reads.
How Xbox age verification works in Australia
Microsoft is offering four ways to complete the check. Customers can use email-based verification, a facial age estimation scan described as a “secure selfie,” a credit card, or a government-issued ID. Accepted ID includes a driver’s license or a passport. The verification itself is handled by VerifyMy, a London-based technology company, rather than by Microsoft directly. Once an account passes one of these checks, it stays cleared to buy or access 18+ rated content without repeating the process each time.
Xbox is the first major games platform to introduce this level of age verification in Australia. Steam and PlayStation have not added equivalent checks yet. The same regulations apply to every digital storefront selling adult-rated games in the country.
Why age verification tools are facing scrutiny
Age verification software has drawn criticism through 2026. In February, security researchers said Persona collects more data than a simple age check requires. Persona is among the most widely used verification providers, and the researchers said it has handled that information carelessly. Roblox, Twitch and VRChat use Persona, and Discord tested it with users in the UK.
Discord’s own systems were breached in 2025. That breach exposed roughly 70,000 government-issued photo IDs that users had submitted for identity checks. Incidents like that have fed concerns that age verification doubles as a new form of data collection on adult users. Its stated purpose is keeping minors from adult content. Microsoft has not disclosed how long VerifyMy retains the documents or selfies submitted at checkout.
Australia and the UK both introduced stricter age verification requirements in early 2026. Twenty-five US states now have similar laws in place, though enforcement and methods vary widely between platforms. Xbox’s rollout puts it ahead of competitors that have yet to build comparable systems into their stores.
- Verification methods: email, facial age estimation “secure selfie,” credit card, or government ID
- Handled by VerifyMy, a third-party provider based in London
- Applies to both Xbox console and PC purchases through the Xbox app
- Steam and PlayStation have not introduced equivalent checks in Australia