If you\u2019ve invested hours in achieving high scores, exploring open worlds, and leveling up, then you absolutely don\u2019t want someone you live with \u2014 or a passing guest \u2014 to sit themselves down in front of your console and interfere with all that hard work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Whether you use a PlayStation 5<\/a>, Xbox Series X<\/a>, or Xbox Series S<\/a>, you can configure multiple user accounts so that games, achievements, and apps belong to you and you alone \u2014 while giving other people the chance to play on the console as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And you have a couple of options, depending if these are registered users or guests. Users who already have their own Sony or Microsoft accounts will only need to enter the credentials for these accounts once and can protect those accounts with a PIN code. Meanwhile, guest mode is a good alternative for friends or relatives who are only visiting for a day. It\u2019s supported by both Sony and Microsoft consoles, and it means someone else can quickly game on your console without registering their details. All of their gaming data gets wiped when they sign out, so they leave no trace when they\u2019ve gone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S also cater to families. If you\u2019ve got youngsters in the house who want to track their own gaming progress but aren\u2019t allowed to buy and install games (or access unsuitable content), then a family account can offer another option. Both Sony and Microsoft enable you to set up accounts for your kids that can then be monitored in terms of what games can be played, what content can be accessed, and even what times gaming is allowed to happen. These accounts can then be plugged into your gaming system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Whether you\u2019re adding full gamers, temporary guests, or family members, managing users on the latest generation of consoles isn\u2019t difficult. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re gaming on a Sony PS5 and you want to find the options for adding guest accounts or full user accounts:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Pick either Sign In<\/strong> or Quick Play<\/strong> on the right of the pop-up window. Sign In lets the guest sign into the PlayStation Network and get at their own user data and games, whereas Quick Play limits the guest to the games already installed on the PS5 (and means they\u2019re gaming incognito).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In either case, all of the player\u2019s local data is deleted from the console when you quit out of the guest mode:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you want to add some security to stop anyone else from switching to your account:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you need to remove a user account from your PS5:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re adding accounts that belong to family members, you first need to tell Sony who these people are through the Family Management<\/strong> section of your PlayStation Network account on the web.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To find the options for adding guest accounts or full user accounts on Microsoft\u2019s latest generation of consoles:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Guests have access to everything you have access to in terms of games, but they can\u2019t buy anything through games or through the store, and none of their gaming achievements will be logged on the console.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Adding a proper user account is a bit more involved:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You can add a PIN\u00a0when you add a user account or do it later:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The process works differently if you\u2019re adding a child account to the Xbox. First, the child needs to be registered as part of your family,<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSony PlayStation 5<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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To add guests<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add continuing users<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add a PIN code\u00a0<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To remove a user account<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add family members<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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Microsoft Xbox Series X \/ Series S<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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To add guests<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add continuing users<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add a PIN code\u00a0<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To remove a user account<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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To add family members<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n