Age ratings and parental controls for PC games in the UK

An age rating is the first thing most people look for when a younger person wants to play a game, and the rating system in the UK is clear and well established. But a rating answers one question and leaves several others open. This guide explains what PEGI ratings cover, what they do not, and which controls on a Windows PC or a Mac can fill the gaps.

Who rates games in the UK

The UK uses the Pan European Game Information system, PEGI, which is used across much of Europe. In the UK, PEGI ratings are applied by the Video Standards Council Rating Board, which publishes information about the system and how it works. PEGI's own website lets you search for a game by name and see its rating and descriptors.

For families, the Ask About Games website gathers guidance on ratings and parental controls in one place, written for parents rather than for the games industry.

Reading the label

A PEGI label has two parts. The number is the age from which the content is considered suitable. The descriptors are small icons or notes that say why the game received that rating, or flag other features. PEGI's site explains each descriptor in full, and we suggest reading its explanations rather than relying on a summary. Two points are worth stressing:

• The number is about content, not difficulty. A game rated for older players is not necessarily hard, and a game rated for younger players is not necessarily simple.
• The descriptors carry practical information. PEGI uses a descriptor to show that a game offers in-game purchases, and a further note where those purchases include random items. For a family deciding about spending, this is often the most useful line on the label.

What a rating does not tell you

Ratings assess the content a game ships with. Several things that matter just as much in everyday life sit outside them:

• Other players. Text and voice chat with strangers is the same whatever the rating. What other people say is not part of the rated content.
• Pressure to spend. A purchases descriptor tells you purchases exist. It does not tell you how often the game promotes them, or how prominent they are.
• Session length and return loops. Daily rewards, streaks and timed events shape how often someone plays. The rating does not measure them.
• Updates. Online games change after release. New modes, events and shop items can arrive at any time.

None of this makes ratings unhelpful. It means a rating is where a decision starts, not the whole decision.

Randomised purchases and younger players

Some games sell items with random contents: the buyer pays without knowing exactly what they will get. These are often called loot boxes. The UK government looked at them in a call for evidence and published its response, which sets out its position and the protections it expects the industry to provide. Read the response itself rather than summaries of it.

Our own position is simple. This site is for adults, and we do not describe any game that sells randomised items as suitable for children or teenagers. If you are deciding for a younger player, treat the "random items" note on a PEGI label as a prompt for a closer look and a conversation, not as a detail.

Controls on a Windows PC

Windows offers family settings through a Microsoft account. A parent's account can be linked to a child's, and from there you can usually set screen-time limits, filter content and require approval for purchases made through Microsoft's own store. These settings change between versions of Windows, so follow Microsoft's current instructions on its support pages rather than a third-party summary. One point is easy to miss: games installed through a developer's own launcher may not route purchases through Microsoft's store, so spending controls in Windows will not necessarily cover them.

Controls on a Mac

macOS has Screen Time, which can limit app use, set downtime and restrict content. As with Windows, the exact options depend on the version of macOS, and Apple's support pages are the reliable reference. Screen Time can limit how long a game runs. It cannot see inside the game's own shop, so purchases inside a game launched outside the App Store need controls in the game's account settings or at the payment method.

Controls inside the game and at the payment method

Many online games have their own settings for chat, friend requests and profile visibility. Look for them in the game's options and on the account management pages of its website. For spending, the simplest control is the payment method. A child's game account with no card attached cannot make purchases without someone adding one. If a card has been saved on a shared computer, remove it.

Internet Matters, a UK not-for-profit organisation, publishes step-by-step guides to parental controls on many devices and platforms. It is a useful companion to the manufacturers' own instructions.

If something goes wrong online

If a young person is contacted in a way that worries you, most games let you report and block the account in question, and doing so promptly helps the game's moderators. Keep a note or screenshot of what was said. For guidance on wider online harms, the NSPCC and Internet Matters both publish advice for parents. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.

Talking about games at home

Settings work best alongside a conversation. Settings can be got round. An understanding is harder to get round. Agree, together, which games are allowed, when they are played, and what happens if someone asks for money or personal details online. Ask the player to show you the game rather than describing it. A few minutes watching someone play tells you more than any label. Revisit the agreement as the player gets older or the game changes. Online games update often, and what was fine at the start of the year may look different by the end of it.

If a younger player wants a game you are unsure about, it is reasonable to say "not yet" and to set a point at which you will look at it again. Explaining the reason, whether it is chat with strangers, the rating or the shop, helps the decision feel fair rather than arbitrary.

A note for adult players

The same tools are useful for adults managing their own habits. Screen-time limits, a game account with no saved card, and a monthly budget set in advance are not only for children. Many adults use them to keep a hobby in proportion. Our spending guide covers this in more detail.