Xbox Age Checks Are Coming, Starting With the UK

Xbox users in the UK will soon have to verify their age to keep access to voice chat, game invites, and other social features. This change isn’t optional for long — it’s part of the UK government’s rollout of the Online Safety Act, a wide-reaching regulation that’s already impacting Discord, Reddit, Nexus Mods, and even smaller gaming forums and sites.

Kim Kunes, Vice President of Gaming Trust & Safety at Xbox, confirmed that the age-verification system will become mandatory next year. Until then, it's optional, but players who don’t go through the process before the deadline will find themselves locked out of social features. That means you won’t be able to send or receive invites, use voice chat, or text message players unless they’re already your friends.

The UK’s Online Safety Act officially came into effect earlier this week. It puts strict new rules in place for any digital platform that hosts adult or mature content. Discord users in the UK have already been hit hard. Unverified accounts are blocked from accessing adult-tagged channels, and some are being asked to complete face scans just to keep chatting with their communities.

Xbox is now next in line.

“It will become mandatory to verify your age when using an Xbox, or you'll be locked out of several social features such as voice/text communication and game invites.” — Kim Kunes, Xbox Vice President of Gaming Trust & Safety

Players will need to submit a selfie, government-issued ID like a passport or driver’s license, mobile number, or even a credit card to prove their age. Microsoft hasn't confirmed which of these will be the default method or how they plan to secure the process. But users should expect stricter access controls, especially for minors.

These changes won’t stop with the UK either. Kunes said the company plans to expand age verification to more countries in the future, though she didn’t list which ones. Depending on the region and legal requirements, the verification method could vary.

While this might look like a UK-only issue for now, Xbox users across Europe and beyond should pay attention.

This new verification system follows a broader push in the UK to enforce online safety. Several services have already taken major steps to comply with the law. Discord users report being locked out of not just adult servers, but even their own communities. On Reddit, many popular subreddits, including some focused on games, guides, or even beer, now demand ID checks to browse.

Nexus Mods is also affected. Mods with violent or explicit content now require users to register verified accounts. Nexus staff say they didn’t have a choice. The law gives Ofcom the power to fine platforms up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue — whichever is higher — if they fail to comply.

With this kind of financial threat looming, most gaming platforms aren’t waiting around to see what happens.

For Xbox, enforcing age checks means users in the UK will see an extra barrier when trying to play online with strangers or join multiplayer parties. And if players refuse to verify, their experience will be locked down to “friends only” mode. It's not a full ban, but it dramatically reduces what you can do on the platform.

Xbox is currently the only console that has formally announced a system-wide age-verification plan. Nintendo, often the most conservative when it comes to family safety, hasn’t said anything about adopting similar systems. Sony and PlayStation haven’t issued a comment either, but that could change if the pressure builds.

For now, the age-check rollout is mostly targeting communication features, not the games themselves. That means players can still boot up their titles, unlock achievements, and browse the store. But without verification, they won’t be able to talk, message, or party up with other players outside their friend list.

And yes, people are already looking for workarounds. On Discord, some users have reportedly bypassed face scan requirements using footage from Death Stranding. Others are using VPNs to switch regions. Whether Microsoft’s system will be as easy to bypass remains to be seen.

But with the UK's new law in effect and Xbox on board, more companies are likely to follow. If other consoles and platforms take the same route, age verification could become a standard requirement for gaming online, not just in the UK, but worldwide.

Right now, Xbox users in the UK have a clear choice: verify your age, or lose access to the full social side of the console. Next year, that decision will no longer be optional.