How to Set up PS5 Parental Controls for GTA VI

Give your child their own account in your PS5 family, and the console will block GTA 6 by its age rating unless you allow it. Confirmed GTA 6 is rated M for Mature 17+ by the ESRB and shows PEGI 18 on the UK PlayStation Store. PlayStation says a child account can start a PS5 game only if its age rating is the same as or lower than the child’s age. Menu names below are from PlayStation’s own support pages.

For what the rating covers, see GTA 6 is rated M for Mature 17+.

Set up a family and a child account

Parental controls only apply to a child account in your family. The first adult to add a family member becomes the family manager, and PlayStation says a family can have only one.

On the web: sign in to Account Management, select Family Management, then Set Up Now and Add a Child (or Add Family Member > Add a Child if you already have a family).
On the PS5: select your profile icon at the top right of the home screen, switch user, add a user and choose to create an account. Follow the steps to set up the account and its controls.

PlayStation notes that the child has to verify their email and be signed in on the console for the controls to work. It also says child members can’t be removed from a family later, so set it up with the right account.

Check the age level for games

On the PS5, go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management and select your child.

Restriction level offers three presets: Child, Early Teens and Late Teens or Older. In all three, PS5 games follow the same rule: a game starts only if its age rating is at or below the child’s age.
Age level for games and apps (PS5/PS4 and PS3) is where you change that setting yourself. Changing any part of a preset turns the level into Customize.

On the web, select the child in Family Management, then Edit, and look for Age Level for Games (PS5/PS4 and PS3).

Analysis With the default rule, GTA 6 should be blocked for any child account younger than the game’s rating. If your child’s account shows an age that is too high, the rating check won’t catch it, so it is worth confirming the date of birth when you set the account up.

Allow GTA 6 as an exception, if you choose to

PlayStation supports exceptions for single games. When a blocked game is started, the child sees a screen and can send you a request. You get a notification and an email.

On the PS5: sign in as the family manager or a guardian, press the PS button, open Notifications, select the request and choose Go to [Allowed Games]. You can also go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management, select the child and open Allowed Games.
On the web: open the link in the email, sign in, select the child and choose Gameplay under Allowed Games.
In the PlayStation Family app: the request appears as a notification that you can allow or deny.

Analysis Allowing GTA 6 only lifts the age block for that game. Spending, play time and chat limits still apply, so check those before you say yes.

Set a spending limit

Confirmed The ESRB and PEGI both list In-Game Purchases for GTA 6. Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said what can be bought.

On the PS5, select the child, then Parental Controls > Monthly Spending Limit. On the web, the setting is also called Monthly Spending Limit. PlayStation says the limit starts at 0 and that purchases come out of the family manager’s wallet.

The parents’ guide also suggests turning on Require Password at Checkout on your own account, so nobody can buy with it without your password.

Limit play time

Go to the child in Family Management and set a Time Zone first. PlayStation says play time controls can’t be changed until it is set. Then open Playtime Settings:

Restrict Playtime: Restrict or Do Not Restrict.
Playtime Duration and Playable Hours: the same every day, or different for each day of the week.
When Playtime Ends: Notify Only, or Log Out.

Select Save to apply. Your child can tap Ask for More Playtime from a reminder, and you can choose Change Playtime or Decline. Change Playtime for Today adds time without changing the schedule.

Analysis Story games don’t always let you save at any moment. Notify Only with a short warning may suit GTA 6 better than an instant log out, but that depends on how its save system works. Not announced Rockstar hasn’t detailed it.

Restrict chat and shared content

Under Communication and User-Generated Content, choose Restrict. PlayStation says this blocks text and voice chat with other players, sharing content your child makes and viewing other players’ content. Pre-written in-game messages are still allowed. Your child can ask for an exception for one game.

Confirmed Rockstar calls GTA 6 a single player experience. Not announced No online mode has been announced, so how chat would work in the game is unknown. More in GTA 6 single player and online.

Use the PlayStation Family app

The PlayStation Family app, on the App Store and Google Play, covers most of the above from your phone. PlayStation lists:

Play time limits, alerts when time is up and replies to requests for more time.
The monthly spending limit, the wallet balance and adding funds.
Game requests and Allowed Games, plus age levels for games and apps.
Communication restrictions and exceptions for chosen games.
What your child is playing now and a 7-day activity summary.

Before launch day

GTA 6 is out on November 19, 2026. Analysis Set the controls before then, so the first request comes to you instead of the game starting. For storage, preload and the rest of the console setup, see GTA 6 launch day setup. If you are buying the game for someone, our editions and price guide explains what each version includes.

Common questions

Do these settings carry over from a PS4?

Yes. PlayStation says parental control settings from a PS4 carry over to the PS5.

Can my child change the controls?

Only the family manager and appointed guardians can. PlayStation’s parents’ guide also suggests turning off new user creation and guest login, and setting a login passcode and a system restriction passcode, so a child can’t get around the controls with another account.

What do the GTA 6 rating labels mean?

The ESRB lists Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. Our rating post explains each one.