Overview
- Sony, which began prompting PS4 and PS5 users on Tuesday, will make age verification mandatory from June 2026 to keep using social features.
- Unverified accounts will lose access to voice and text chat, parties, Discord and other third‑party chats, broadcasting to YouTube or Twitch, and some in‑game messaging and user‑generated content.
- Players can verify once using a face scan, a government ID, or a mobile number, with Yoti handling the process and Sony saying facial geometry data is deleted after confirmation.
- Players who skip verification can still play games, earn trophies, and use the PlayStation Store, but their multiplayer chat and streaming routines will stop until they complete the check.
- The change tracks industry moves by Xbox, Discord, and Roblox and has already drawn privacy concerns and reports of slow access to the verification site from early users.