Microsoft starts rolling out Xbox age verification in the UK

Microsoft is starting to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act by prompting Xbox players to verify their property today. The prompts volition beryllium shown to Xbox players who bespeak they’re implicit the property of 18 and volition beryllium shown erstwhile you motion into an Xbox relationship successful the UK. Microsoft says it’s besides exploring bringing akin property verification tools to different countries successful the future.

To powerfulness the property verification successful the UK, Microsoft is partnering with Yoti, which is 1 of the services that hasn’t fallen unfortunate to the Death Stranding photograph mode bypass. While the property verification checks are optional close now, they volition go a request to entree a assortment of Xbox services successful aboriginal 2026, erstwhile further parts of the UK’s Online Safety Act come into force.

“Starting aboriginal adjacent year, property verification volition beryllium required for these players successful the UK to clasp afloat entree to societal features connected Xbox, specified arsenic dependable oregon substance connection and crippled invites,” explains Kim Kunes, vice president of gaming spot and information astatine Xbox. If you don’t verify your property betwixt present and aboriginal adjacent year, societal features “will go constricted to friends only” until the property verification process has been completed.

“Whether a subordinate verifies their property volition not impact immoderate erstwhile purchases, entitlements, gameplay history, achievements, oregon the quality to play and acquisition games, nevertheless we promote players to verify their property via this one-time process present to debar uninterrupted usage of societal features connected Xbox successful the future,” Kunes says.

While this is constricted to Xbox players successful the UK close now, Kunes says, “We expect to rotation retired property verification processes to much regions successful the future.” Microsoft isn’t revealing which different regions volition get akin property verification requirements, but Kunes does enactment that “these methods whitethorn look antithetic crossed regions and experiences.”

If you’re successful the UK, past you tin verify your property for your Xbox relationship online done Microsoft, wherever you tin usage a selfie, a scan of your passport oregon driver’s license, a recognition paper check, oregon a mobile number.