Xbox users in Australia will soon have to verify their age before buying games rated 18+.
Xbox users in Australia will soon have to verify their age before buying games rated 18+.
Any Australian gamers hoping to buy R18+ games via the Xbox Store on consoles or Microsoft Store on the PC will have to verify their identity, which the tech giant says is in line with the country’s regulations.
A message sent out to users reads: “As part of our compliance program in Australia, beginning late August 2026, adult Xbox accounts must verify their age to be able to access apps and games rated 18+ on the Microsoft and Xbox Store.
“Access to such content may be restricted unless you verify your age. Apps and games you already own won’t be affected.”
Depending on how long a users has had an account, they may only need to set up email verification, which is a similar format to the one PlayStation has used in the UK.
Other ways to verify your identity include using a credit card of government ID (such as a driver’s license or passport), or facial verification, which involves uploading a selfie.
Australia, the UK and several states in the US have recently implemented age verification requirements across various websites and online services.
The idea behind this is to protect children from adult content online, but critics have claimed freedoms for adults are also being limited, and argued that governments and private companies are using the measures to gather more data on people.
Xbox launching age verification for gamers in Australia
