Are you worried about microtransactions that can lead to addictive behavior? You can now control how much your child can spend on video games.
It’s easy to rack up huge bills through microtransactions on video games. However, Microsoft has responded to parents’ concerns about their children spending excessive money without limit.
Microsoft’s New Parental Controls for Xbox
Microsoft announced this new feature on the Xbox Wire, Microsoft’s official gaming blog. But, unfortunately, it can be difficult to give your child financial independence in today’s gaming world while still trusting that they won’t rack up large bills through microtransactions.
Microsoft has introduced a new credit balance to kids to give parents the best of both worlds. The Xbox app allows you to add funds directly into your child’s account. This means that you can give money as an allowance or reward for good work.
The funds are available to the child for use at the Xbox store once they have the money. However, they cannot purchase anything again by themselves if the funds run out.
Microsoft has also added an “ask for purchase” feature to its permissions list. It’s the equivalent of a child holding up a product and asking you “please,” but it’s all done through the Xbox app.
You can request that they buy a game for them via the app. If they request something too expensive, you can either agree or decline it. You can also add funds to their account to purchase a new skin in-game or another type of microtransaction.
The app can be used to monitor your child’s finances. You can double-check their balance to make sure they aren’t burning through money. You can also look at their spending history to see where they are going if you suspect they’re using all of their money for microtransactions.
These combined features allow parents to give their children the freedom to purchase what they want, whenever they want. Parents can also double-check their children’s spending habits and limit their financial resources if necessary.
Funds for Fun: Microsoft’s New Parental Controls
Microsoft offers a way to allow your children to spend their allowance; however, you don’t want it to go to microtransactions. Instead, you can now control what they spend on games and monitor everything they purchase.
You might be wondering why microtransactions can be so problematic for parents. Games have become very adept at convincing players to spend exorbitant amounts on in-game content. It’s very easy to make someone part with their money through video games.
