Gaming should be a safe space for everyone, and Sony has a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who breaks its Code of Conduct. Even when you are engaging in an activity or game with many other individuals who share the same interests, there will always be a bad egg or two.
Sony has procedures in place to keep everyone using their platform as safe and happy as possible. But Sony can't have its eyes on everyone all at once. Sony relies on other users to report any players who are breaking the Code of Conduct. Thankfully, it is very easy to do so.
When Should You Report a User on Your PS5?
When you create a PlayStation account, you sign a contract to abide by Sony’s PlayStation Network Community Code of Conduct. This contract is not difficult to adhere to. There are no ridiculous or outlandish expectations involved. When you sign Sony’s Community Code of Conduct, you are essentially just agreeing to be a good person while interacting with others on the PlayStation Network.
Employing the use of hate speech, being vulgar or offensive, cheating, spamming, or being otherwise disruptive, are all examples of behavior that can be reported using Sony’s Contextual Grief Reporting Tools.
Games that use voice chat can be particularly harmful as players can resort to verbal abuse or any other sort of online bullying when they don’t get their way. If you have experienced this sort of behavior first-hand, or you have seen it happen to someone else, don’t hesitate to report these users.
Once you report a user or their comment, that content will be reviewed. If it is deemed to have broken Sony’s Community Code of Conduct, the offending user could have their account temporarily or permanently suspended.
How to Report Content on Your PS5
There are many different ways to interact with others on the PlayStation Network, and each avenue requires taking different steps to report them. You can report something in a user's profile, a specific comment they have made, or even report a conversation you’ve had over voice chat.
Harassment can occur on any platform, not just on the PS5. You can also block and report users using your PS4 or the PlayStation app if necessary.
How to Report an Offensive Message or Comment on Your PS5
If you’ve been wondering what the PlayStation Messaging feature is and how to use it, it is essentially a means to directly message a PSN user. Communication is a key element of the PSN network, and part of that includes being able to message someone privately and directly.
But this can open avenues for people to abuse the PlayStation Messaging feature to bully or harass someone. If that has happened to you, you can directly report the offending messages. To do so, just highlight the message from within the chat, press the options button on your controller, and select Report.
How to Report Someone’s Profile on Your PS5
Sometimes a user might have some sort of offensive content on their profile, such as their username, for example. You will have to visit the player's profile to report something offensive that may be on there.
Once you’ve opened the player's profile, select More at the top corner, press Report, and enter the reason why you are making the report. Try to be specific when entering the reason, so the person reviewing it knows what to look for.
How to Report a Conversation Over Voice Chat on Your PS5
Voice chat is one of the main avenues in which online harassment or bullying occurs while playing video games. If anything is said during a voice chat that you believe may have broken the rules of conduct and requires reporting, it is best to leave the chat as soon as possible.
This is recommended for two reasons. Firstly, there is no reason why you should stay in a chat if someone is disrespecting you or someone else. But there is another reason why leaving as soon as possible is a good idea. When reporting a voice chat conversation, you can take a 20-second recording of the last five minutes of the conversation. If you stay for longer than five minutes you may miss your chance to take a clip of the offending comments.
To report a voice chat conversation on your PS5, press the PS button on your controller to open the control center. Find and select the voice card of the conversation you would like to report. Select More, and then select Report.
You will be asked who it was that made the comments. If you don’t know, it is best to select I’m Unsure. That way, you can be sure that no innocent parties are being reported for something they didn’t say.
Help Sony Keep the PSN Safe by Reporting Users on Your PS5
You may feel like it is easier to just move on and pretend like it didn’t happen if someone is rude to you, or you observe any other kind of misconduct when playing online on your PS5.
But these measures are in place to help keep the PSN running smoothly, and Sony relies on players to speak up when something happens, so it can do what it needs to do to keep you and others safe while playing online.