Age verification frequently asked questions (Australia)

Find answers to your age verification questions.

Important

As part of our commitment to online safety and age-appropriate play, we use age verification to help deliver the best PlayStation experience for your age and to help protect our younger players.

Age verification will soon be required for Australian adult accounts to add Restricted (R 18+)  rated games and content from PlayStation Store to your library. We recommend completing age verification to avoid interruptions.

If you have not completed age verification, you can continue playing on PlayStation, but you won’t be able to add Restricted (R 18+) rated games and content from PlayStation Store to your library when enforcement begins until you do.

Verify now or scan this QR code on your mobile device.

Overview 

Age verification is a process that helps confirm that you’re 18 or older before you access age-restricted games or content on PlayStation in Australia. We use an age verification service to help deliver an age-appropriate experience.

From time to time, we may roll out improvements or additions to the current age verification process. When we do, we may ask for your consent again.

In line with local regulation, we are using age verification to deliver the best PlayStation experience for your age, and to help protect our younger users. 

Age verification applies to adult accounts registered in Australia. You only need to complete age verification once per account.

  • New adult accounts may be asked to verify during account creation.
  • Existing adult accounts may be able to verify from account settings.

If you have not completed age verification, you can continue playing on PlayStation, but when enforcement begins, you won’t be able to add Restricted (R 18+) rated games and content from PlayStation Store to your library until you verify your age.

You can verify your age by selecting one of the available methods: facial scan or ID.

Verification methods are provided by our service provider, Yoti. In some cases, ID age verification may require an additional face scan to confirm your identity.

Yoti is our secure age-verification service provider. Yoti’s age verification is used in industries including gaming, social media, and age-restricted e-commerce.

For the best experience, we recommend using the following:

  • Android: The latest version of Chrome
  • iOS: The latest version of Safari
  • Mac: The latest versions of Chrome or Safari
  • Windows: The latest versions of Chrome or Edge

Facial Scan 

You’ll take a photo of your face in a well-lit area. Our service provider, Yoti, uses its proprietary technology to estimate your age using the geometry of your face.

Yoti deletes your facial geometry data as soon as your verification is complete. PlayStation never collects, stores, or otherwise processes your facial geometry data. We only receive a signal from them if you passed or failed the verification method you attempted.

For more information about how Yoti’s facial estimation technology works, visit the Yoti website.

Please make sure that:

  • You are in a well-lit area and your face is evenly lit.
  • Your entire face is fully visible.
  • No other faces are visible.

If you wear glasses, you don’t need to take them off.

You can take the photo using any of these devices. For best results, we advise using your mobile phone as this will take a better-quality picture.

ID age verification 

You need to take a photo of an accepted ID document, such as a passport. Once you select your issuing country, you can see a list of accepted documents.

In some cases, you may also be asked to complete an additional face scan for liveness check. This helps Yoti confirm that the ID document belongs to you and that the verification is being completed by a real person.

Once you’ve scanned your ID, it can take between 3 and 6 minutes to confirm your identity.

If you don’t have an ID document, you won’t be able to confirm your age with this method. You can use facial scan instead.

Having issues? 

If you select [Verify Age Later], you can continue without verifying at that moment. However, when age verification is required, you won’t be able to add Restricted (R 18+) rated games and content from PlayStation Store to your library until verification is completed.

To avoid interruptions later, we recommend completing age verification now.

Even if you haven’t verified your age, you can still:

  • Play games already in your library.
  • Use PlayStation features that don’t require age verification.
  • Add games and content from PlayStation Store that don’t require age verification.

You won’t be able to add Restricted (R 18+) rated games and content until you complete age verification.

Players under 18 need to use an account managed by a parent or guardian.

If an adult account was created for someone who is under 18, the account will need to be updated to the appropriate account type. A parent or guardian will be required to manage this process.

For more information on how to update an account, see our support article. 

Data 

Information you provide for age verification is processed by Yoti, our third-party provider. Please see Yoti’s privacy policy for details on how your information is handled.

Need help? 

Contact our support specialists