Microsoft has started implementing age verification on Xbox in the UK as part of compliance with the newly helpful Online Safety Act. This legislation requires companies hosting adult content to confirm users’ ages using banking details or government ID.
Right now, the age verification on Xbox is optional, but by 2026 it will be mandatory for users who want to communicate via voice or text with people outside their friends list. So, if you’re thinking you can skip it, well, not for long.
Interestingly, there’s no sign yet of similar checks on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles, but those could come eventually. Microsoft plans to learn from the UK rollout to apply similar safety measures elsewhere, as their vice president of gaming trust and safety, Kim Kunes, explained.
She said, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to player safety, so these methods may look different across regions and experiences. We’ll work with local communities, publishing partners, and regulators to determine the right approach that both respects player privacy and doesn’t take away from the Xbox gameplay experience.” That sounds like a tricky balance to strike…
Penalties for not following the law are hefty, up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue. That’s a serious risk for big companies like Microsoft. But, of course, some have already questioned how helpful these age checks will be. Some users found that VPNs can bypass certain sites, and others discovered that even images from games like WWE 2K25 or Death Stranding’s photo mode can fool verification systems.
You can use Death Stranding's photo mode to bypass Discord's age verification https://t.co/o9n0c0lwkI pic.twitter.com/mvYmhZZCVp
— Dany Sterkhov 🛡✈ (@DanySterkhov) July 25, 2025
Xbox reassures that verifying age won’t affect previous purchases, gameplay history, achievements, or the ability to buy and play games. They urge users to complete this one-time check now to avoid interruptions in social features later on.
Similar efforts have appeared elsewhere, like Discord’s new age verification system introduced in the UK and Australia. Discord’s system asks some users to scan their face or ID to access sensitive content, described as an experiment reacting to these new laws.
