Xbox Age Restrictions Roll Out to Widespread Issues in UK, as Microsoft Says It's 'Working to Fix' Problems

Xbox has acknowledged wide issues with the rollout of its enforced property verification process successful the UK, leaving galore users incapable to afloat entree games and online features.

Overnight, a flood of complaints has arisen connected reddit and societal media from users who accidental they person been booted retired of games to execute the console's property verification cheque — which successful immoderate cases is taking hours to complete, and for others is not completing astatine all.

In the meantime, users accidental they are incapable to usage apps specified arsenic Discord, oregon usage Xbox dependable chat successful games with non-friends. An Xbox enactment leafage for the process present lists an mistake message, with a enactment from Microsoft saying it is "aware of the contented and moving to hole it."

Microsoft archetypal announced plans to instrumentality mandatory property verification connected Xbox successful the UK past year, successful compliance with the company's UK Online Safety Act. The authorities indispensable beryllium followed by each companies that facilitate online connection — and prompted the aboriginal rollout of Discord's akin property verification request that's soon to beryllium made global.

UK Xbox users person been capable to opt-in to property verification implicit the past fewer monhts to get up of the infinitesimal it is afloat enforced, with informing messages connected consoles flagging the information that it volition soon go mandatory. Now, a ample question of UK accounts look to person had property verification made a requirement, with galore reports appearing online since yesterday evening of users struggling to get the process working.

"This has to beryllium 1 of the worst implemented things of each time," wrote SymbioticAxehead successful a lengthy thread of complaints connected reddit. "In the mediate of a Helldivers 2 crippled I get booted close backmost to the sign-in screen, to beryllium told upon signing successful that connection extracurricular of Xbox is present restricted."

@xbox @xboxuk @XboxSupport however are we meant to verify property erstwhile each method doesn't work. How tin you beryllium a tech institution but can't adjacent tally crap decently fucking pathetic!!! #xbox #xboxverifyage #xboxdown pic.twitter.com/zyUeOpIWC9

The idiosyncratic said they past attempted aggregate methods for proving their age, including providing a mobile number, ID and past an property estimation via unrecorded video to continued errors.

Various users person flagged the information that their Xbox accounts are much than 18 years old, but inactive person been caught up successful the verification process. Others, meanwhile, accidental they made it done the process but inactive stay locked retired of assorted bits of online functionality, with nary proposition of what to bash adjacent different than interaction Xbox support.

"The magnitude of times I've tried to bash immoderate method of the verification contiguous is stupid," wrote PdoubleEB. "Can't alteration privateness settings connected my Xbox to let maine to spot mods connected games too. Can't chat connected Discord. Utterly broken."

"Been trying to verify my ID for the past fewer hours," added ColossalNova. "It yet worked but I can't entree thing still. No Discord entree astatine all."

"Kicked retired of Overwatch game, signed retired of Xbox, forced to verify my property oregon other I can't socialize with people, present got an hr prohibition connected Overwatch," wrote Warlock_Worm of their experience.

While Xbox is the archetypal of the large console level holders to sermon its plans to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act, it seems lone a substance of clip earlier PlayStation, Nintendo and different gaming companies people akin requirements. IGN has contacted Xbox contiguous for much connected the existent issues.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social