Sony has started notifying PlayStation 5 players in the UK and Ireland about a June 2026 deadline for mandatory age verification. Those who miss it will lose access to voice chat, messaging, party features, and live broadcasting on the platform.
Players are receiving the notification on their PS5 dashboard alongside a QR code they can scan to complete the process right away. Sony’s support FAQ is more specific about the cutoff, confirming that mandatory PlayStation age verification begins “beginning June 2026”, at which point all adult accounts that have not yet complied will have their communication features suspended.
Features blocked without PlayStation age verification
Sony has listed the following as unavailable for accounts that do not verify before the June deadline:
- Communication features across the PlayStation console, PS App, and web
- Voice chat and text messaging
- Joining parties or group sessions
- Connected third-party communication features
- Discord voice chat
- Broadcasting gameplay to YouTube or Twitch
Games with built-in messaging systems or user-generated content tools may also apply their own separate restrictions for unverified accounts, independent of the platform-level blocks Sony controls. Sony has not listed specific game titles, but the language in its support documentation covers titles with in-game chat, community features, or player-created content.
Players who do not verify can still play games and use non-communication features. Their access to the PlayStation Store and game library stays intact.
How age verification works on PlayStation
Sony uses Yoti, a digital identity provider, to handle PlayStation age verification. Three options are available: linking a mobile phone number, completing a facial age scan, or uploading a government-issued photo ID. Players on a PS5 can start the process now by scanning the QR code in their dashboard notification, ahead of the June deadline.
Sony is making the verification option available now, before the mandatory June cutoff, so players have time to complete the process through their preferred method.
PlayStation age verification and the UK Online Safety Act
The requirement comes from the UK Online Safety Act, legislation that compels online services to apply age-appropriate access controls. Sony joins a growing list of platforms acting on the law in the UK. Microsoft began rolling out similar measures for Xbox players in July 2025, making Sony one of the later major console platforms to announce its own compliance deadline.
Discord introduced age verification for UK and Australian users around the same period, but the rollout attracted enough criticism that the company paused its plans for a global expansion. Discord acknowledged it “missed the mark” with how the feature was designed and has not set a new timeline for a global rollout.
Sony’s choice of three verification routes via Yoti gives UK players more options than a single-method system. Players who find one approach inconvenient, such as the facial scan, can switch to mobile number or ID upload instead.