PlayStation Plus – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

PlayStation Plus

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

app2011

55%

WISE Score

4.4

App Store

The remote control for your kid's PlayStation—handy for parents who set up controls first, risky if you hand it over without a plan.

PlayStation Plus

app

Teen, 2011

55%

WISE Score

4.4

App Store

The remote control for your kid's PlayStation—handy for parents who set up controls first, risky if you hand it over without a plan.

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Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

This is a utility app, not entertainment—it's the companion to a PlayStation console, like a remote control for your gaming ecosystem. The app itself is fine, even useful, but it's a direct pipeline to social features (messaging, voice chat with strangers) and the PlayStation Store (where M-rated games sit next to Ratchet & Clank).

The good news: Sony actually has solid parental controls available through the separate PlayStation Family app. The bad news: they're not automatic, and Reddit parents warn that you need to set them up BEFORE handing your kid the keys to the kingdom.

If your kid is responsible, over 10, and you've locked down spending and content restrictions, this is a handy tool for them to manage their own gaming. If you're just downloading it because your 8-year-old asked for it without setting up controls first? Pump the brakes.

Age Fit

Best for kids 10+ who already own a PlayStation console and have demonstrated responsible online behavior. Younger kids can use it with heavy parental supervision and strict controls set up via the PlayStation Family app. Adults use it too for their own gaming management.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The app itself is a utility for managing PlayStation accounts and social connections. It facilitates communication with gaming friends and console management. The wholesomeness depends entirely on the games and community interactions it connects to, but the app structure encourages social connection and planning gaming sessions with friends. The PlayStation Family app integration shows Sony's commitment to parental controls.

Imaginative

This is purely a companion utility app for console management and social features—it's not creative or imaginative in itself. It's a tool for accessing games and connecting with friends, not for creating or exploring. The app serves a functional purpose but offers no creative outlets or imaginative play on its own.

Safe

The app has parental controls available through the separate PlayStation Family app, which is a positive. However, it provides direct access to messaging, voice chat, and social features with other PSN users without built-in content filtering in the main app itself. SaferKid rates it as 'inappropriate for some or all children' due to unmoderated communication features. The PlayStation Store integration means kids can browse and potentially purchase games of any rating. Reddit parents warn that parental settings must be configured FIRST before giving kids access.

Enriching

The app is a utility tool for managing a gaming ecosystem. It doesn't provide enrichment itself—it's a gateway to games that may or may not be enriching. It does help kids manage their digital library, plan social gaming sessions, and stay organized with their console storage, which are light organizational skills. But it's fundamentally a storefront and messaging app.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Lets kids manage their own game library, downloads, and storage—good practice for digital organization
Facilitates planning multiplayer sessions with friends, encouraging social coordination
PlayStation Family app provides robust parental controls for screen time, spending limits, and content restrictions
Useful for parents to monitor what games kids are playing and who they're connecting with
Convenient way to browse and purchase age-appropriate games from the PlayStation Store when supervised

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What to Watch For

Unmoderated messaging and voice chat with anyone on PlayStation Network—your kid can communicate with strangers
Direct access to the PlayStation Store means browsing M-rated games and potentially making purchases if spending controls aren't set
Parental controls exist but are in a SEPARATE app (PlayStation Family)—you must set these up proactively
The app is only as safe as the games and communities it connects to—it's a gateway, not a destination

Conversation Starters

"Who are you chatting with on PlayStation? Do you know them from school or are they online friends?"
"What games are you looking at in the store? Let's check the ratings together before downloading."
"If someone messages you something that makes you uncomfortable, what would you do?"
"How do you decide which games to spend your allowance on?"

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