Introduction
- Understand what Parental Controls are.
- Change what kind of content a restricted PlayStation 4 can access.
- Understand the ESRB rating system.
- Create a family account.
- Have access to your PlayStation 4.
1 ESRB Ratings
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings provide guidance about video games and apps so that you can make informed choices about the ones you deem suitable for your family.
Parts of ESRB Ratings
- Rating Categories suggest age appropriateness.
- Content Descriptors indicate content that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.
- Interactive Elements highlight interactive or online features of a product, including users' ability to interact with each other, the sharing of users' location with other users, if purchases of digital goods or services are offered, and/or if unrestricted internet access is provided.
You can find the ESRB ratings on the front of physical games, with the content descriptor on the back.
Box Front
A small logo will be printed on the front of the game box, or prominently in the online store for the game.
Content Descriptor
On the back of the box, a more expanded list of information about the rating, and a small list of why the rating was given is shown.
The primary information is repeated, here, just like the logo on the front. To the right, further information detailing what, exactly, gave it that rating. This is so you can make a more informed decision for your child.
For further information, as well as to check the ratings before leaving home, you can always check the ESRB Website.
- ESRB Ratings (External)
2 Parental Controls Overview
As a parent or guardian, you can use parental controls to restrict access to certain content or features for children using your PS4 system. To set parental controls, you'll need an adult account and to set up a family.
Parental Controls on the PlayStation 4 can:
- Set monthly spending allowances
- Restrict contacting other PSN users
- Restrict viewing and sharing user-generated content
- Restrict games, Blu-Rays, and DVD discs based on age ratings
- Restrict use of the PlayStation VR headset
- Restrict access to the internet browser
- Block new user creation and guest login.
- Change security passcodes.
- Set default Parental Controls which will apply to new users and guests
3 Family Account Check

? Do you have a adult account already created?
- Understand what Parental Controls are.
- Change what kind of content a restricted PlayStation 4 can access.
- Understand the ESRB rating system.
- Create a family account.
- Have access to your PlayStation 4.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings provide guidance about video games and apps so that you can make informed choices about the ones you deem suitable for your family.
Parts of ESRB Ratings
- Rating Categories suggest age appropriateness.
- Content Descriptors indicate content that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.
- Interactive Elements highlight interactive or online features of a product, including users' ability to interact with each other, the sharing of users' location with other users, if purchases of digital goods or services are offered, and/or if unrestricted internet access is provided.
You can find the ESRB ratings on the front of physical games, with the content descriptor on the back.
Box Front
A small logo will be printed on the front of the game box, or prominently in the online store for the game.
Content Descriptor
On the back of the box, a more expanded list of information about the rating, and a small list of why the rating was given is shown.
The primary information is repeated, here, just like the logo on the front. To the right, further information detailing what, exactly, gave it that rating. This is so you can make a more informed decision for your child.
For further information, as well as to check the ratings before leaving home, you can always check the ESRB Website.
- ESRB Ratings (External)
As a parent or guardian, you can use parental controls to restrict access to certain content or features for children using your PS4 system. To set parental controls, you'll need an adult account and to set up a family.
Parental Controls on the PlayStation 4 can:
- Set monthly spending allowances
- Restrict contacting other PSN users
- Restrict viewing and sharing user-generated content
- Restrict games, Blu-Rays, and DVD discs based on age ratings
- Restrict use of the PlayStation VR headset
- Restrict access to the internet browser
- Block new user creation and guest login.
- Change security passcodes.
- Set default Parental Controls which will apply to new users and guests

- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select Family Management.
- Select the account you want to adjust.
- Select Parental Controls.
- From here you can adjust the age ranges for games and videos, as well as restrict the use of PlayStation VR and the Internet Browser.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select Family Management.
- Select the account you want to adjust.
- Select Joining PlayStation Network.
- From here you'll be able to select whether the user can log into the PlayStation Network.
These steps assume you have already set up your PlayStation 4 with at least one account.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select Family Management.
- From here you can either choose to add users to your Family Member Account from those already on the PS4 or create a User.
- Choosing either will prompt you to enter a name and date of birth.
- You can then choose their level of access.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select PS4 System Restrictions.
- Enter the Parental Control passcode.
The default passcode is 0000.
- Select New User Creation and Guest Login.
- By default this setting is set to Allowed. If you select Not Allowed you prevent creation of new users or guests.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select PS4 System Restrictions.
- Enter the Parental Control passcode.
The default passcode is 0000.
- Select Web Filter.
- The Web Filter is provided by Trend Micro. It will send you to the PlayStation Store to purchase a subscription.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select PS4 System Restrictions.
- Enter the Parental Control passcode.
The default passcode is 0000.
- Select Default Parental Controls.
- A separate list of settings will be given.
- From here you can set separate age levels for games.
- And Blu-ray discs and DVDs.
- You can also choose whether or not guest users can use PlayStation VR or access the console's Internet Browser.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select PS4 System Restrictions.
- Enter the Parental Control passcode.
The default passcode is 0000.
- Select Temporarily Disable PS4 System Restrictions.
- Select this option to allow you to toggle all these restrictions off temporarily with the flick of a checkbox.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Parental Controls/Family Management.
- Select PS4 System Restrictions.
- Enter the Parental Control passcode.
The default passcode is 0000.
- Select Change System Restriction Passcode.
- Set a custom parental control passcode or continue to use the default passcode of "0000".