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Playstation Banned Words: Can You Get Banned For Swearing On Playstation?

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Have you ever been playing a game on the PlayStation and got so caught up when you got killed that you accidentally cursed? Maybe you are worried that you are going to get banned from playing on the PlayStation.

Well, we have all of your answers in this article.

So can you get banned for swearing on PlayStation?

Although PlayStation does ban people who swear or curse while playing on the PlayStation, they do not start out with a permanent ban. They will normally start out with a 24-hour ban, and if it was just a slip-up and you weren’t directly cursing at someone it is likely that nothing at all will happen unless someone reports you.

Many people think that the most recent update has increased the likelihood of being banned for cursing but it actually hasn’t… at least as of yet. No recording can take place on the PS4 so until far more people have upgraded to the PS5 it shouldn’t be too big of a problem.

It is important to remember that PlayStation won’t actually listen in on any voice chats unless those chats are reported by someone so this makes it even more important to only be in chats where you trust the other people not to report you or your friends.

If you want to know more about the different types of bans and what you can get banned for, you will want to keep reading this article.

Another common question is what words exactly are banned on PlayStation. Now although I can’t give you an exact list (this is a family-friendly site) I can tell you what types of words are banned on PlayStation and will result in a suspension or ban.

Some of the words that are banned on PlayStation are:

  • Curse words
  • Derogatory names
  • Racist remarks
  • Homophobic remarks
  • Sexist remarks
  • Disparaging religions
  • Bullying of any kind

Essentially if you would have gotten in trouble with your school teacher for saying it to a classmate then it is a banned PSN word as well.

Now I know some people claim that Playstation is going too far, after all, most of the people who play on PlayStation are at least teenagers. However, Sony doesn’t see it that way. They want their platform to be safe for people of all ages and so they are quite strict when it comes to what you can and cannot say on their platform.

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How Long Do You Get Banned For Swearing On PS4 or PS5 Messages?

If you were swearing when messaging on your PS4 or PS5 and the person claimed that they were going to report you you might be wondering how long you can expect to be banned.

In general, people who are suspended or banned for swearing in their PlayStation messages will get a 24-hour suspension either from messaging or from playing online. Although it can vary depending on exactly what you said this is the most common punishment.

For example, if you were using derogatory names, bullying, etc. the suspension will be longer than if you were just cursing at someone in general through your messages.

PlayStation wants to ensure that its platform is safe for everyone so you can expect to receive a harsher punishment the more often you swear at someone via messages or if you use other language that is racist, homophobic, or derogatory in some other way.

Can You Get Banned For Old Messages On The PS4 or PS5?

If you have old messages on your PlayStation account where you said something you shouldn’t have you might be wondering whether that could result in a suspension or ban as well.

Unfortunately, you can be reported for old messages no matter how long ago it was. Not only can you be reported for those old PSN messages but you can also be suspended or banned for them.

Let’s say for example you messaged someone a year ago multiple times cursing at them or saying something derogatory. Not only can you be reported for those but you can actually be reported for each and every message that you sent. So you could easily go from having an account that is in good standing to one that is suspended or banned!

This is why it is so important for you to make sure that everything that you say or send via messages is not against Playstation’s terms of service as it could come back to haunt you many days or months after you originally sent it.

Types Of Playstation Bans and Suspensions

In general, there are two broad kinds of bans that the PlayStation Network can impose on you. 

  • System bans or suspensions.
  • Account bans or suspensions.

It should be remembered that a ban is more permanent in nature whereas a suspension is temporary and you can start playing once the suspension is over.

Playstation System Bans Or Suspensions


In this situation, no local users that are signed into the PlayStation will be able to access it. Since the all-over access is restricted, you cannot manage accounts, nor can you access the PlayStation store or play online from that console.

You can get around this ban by buying a different console or if it is a temporary suspension then by waiting it out.

Playstation Account Bans Or Suspensions 

If you are unable to access your personal account while the other accounts on the PlayStation can still be accessed, then PlayStation probably saw fit to ban or suspend your account. 

An account ban or suspension can be temporary or permanent so if your account was permanently banned then you will need to create a new account and you will lose everything on the old account that was banned.

If the account was just suspended then playing on another account temporarily is a good workaround.

How To Know If Your Playstation Account Is Banned

Now that you know the type of bans or suspensions on PlayStation, let us talk about how you’ll know whether your account is banned or not:

Try To Login To Your Playstation Account

The first step is to try and log into your account to check whether it is an account ban. If you cannot log into your account and get an error code or banned message, you will need to try and log onto the other accounts on your system.


If you cannot log onto the other accounts, then PlayStation felt the need to ban or suspend your entire system. If you can log onto the other accounts, then it is only your account that is banned or suspended.

This is the most common way to check to see what is banned or suspended.

Check Your Email

The next step is to simply check your email. Usually, in cases of an account or a system ban, PlayStation will send you an email notification explaining the banned message on your PS4 or PS5.

If you do not check your email often, you may have missed the email from them, but you can go back and look for it. In the email, PlayStation will state what ban they have imposed on you, and for how long the ban or suspension is going to last.

The email will also normally state why you have been banned as well as a number to contact for more information.

Here are a few examples of what would be included in the ban or suspension email. 

  • The date when the account or system ban or suspension has been imposed.
  • The reason for the ban or suspension.
  • Whether your ban is permanent or if temporary then for how long.

You will want to read through the email carefully so you don’t think you are banned forever only to realize it is simply a 24-hour ban or suspension. 

Can A Playstation Account Ban Be Lifted?

If Playstation customer service finds that your reasons are justified or you didn’t actually commit any of the violations that they thought you did, then your ban may be lifted. However, a ban or suspension is normally the result of a thorough investigation by the Playstation safety staff.

So although they can make a mistake and ban someone who did something wrong they very rarely will issue a permanent suspension or ban without making sure what you did was a serious violation of their terms of service or community guidelines.

If what you have received is a suspension, then you don’t have to reach out to moderation as it is just a temporary ban that will lift by itself after a certain amount of time. The suspension will be lifted once the suspension period is over so contacting them will normally not do a whole lot.

If you received a permanent ban then it is certainly worth your while to contact them and try and get it lifted.

Remember that they don’t have to lift the ban so being kind and polite can go a long way toward helping you get a better result.

What Happens To Your Playstation Account’s Content & Subscriptions If You Are Banned Or Suspended?

In the case of subscriptions, you will not be able to access your account and you will also not be getting any refunds on your existing subscriptions or be able to make new subscriptions for that account while it is banned or suspended. 

However, if your console is banned, you can check on your subscriptions from a different system. This is also subject to the condition that your account isn’t banned as well as sometimes Playstation will ban both the account and the console at the same time.

Many people wonder whether they can lift the ban on a used PlayStation by calling and talking to a representative. However, just because you bought a console that is banned does not mean Playstation will lift it.

After all, if they lifted these types of bans regularly then they wouldn’t be very powerful and people would not be scared of being banned.

Bans are imposed on PlayStations only under severe circumstances so even if you bought a Playstation that is banned it is unlikely that they will unban the console for you.

This is why it is so important that when you go to buy a PlayStation, you should always get it from a reputable seller such as this one. You will always want to make sure you test your secondhand PlayStation to know whether it is banned or not if you choose to buy it from places like Facebook or Craigslist. 

Can I Get Away With Swearing On Playstation?

Although PlayStation does not constantly listen to matches for swearing, if someone reports you, then they will begin to listen while you are online. If you are not reported by anyone though, then you can often swear quite a bit and get away with it. 

Some people think that because they can curse and swear during a game and not get banned, they can get away with sending a message with curse or swear words in it.

Unfortunately, these messages are what get people banned the most for having curse words and swear words in them.

Because there is proof of exactly what you said and the cursing was directed at a specific user, Sony will take action quickly, and a lot of the time will suspend your account for a few days or weeks depending on what you said.

Sony takes action quickly to ensure the mental well-being of all the gamers on the entire platform. As we know, there are many young people out there who love to play on their PlayStation. Being exposed to online bullying and bad environments could extensively harm their cognitive development, which is why Sony takes these reports so seriously. 

For many, gaming is a way to de-stress and unplug from their monotonous lifestyle. Gaming may also be the only way to deal with chronic physical and mental problems for some people as well.

You should never let your competitiveness overrule your empathy.

At the end of the day, not just for the sake of the game, but for you and your fellow gamer’s mental health, learn how to express your anger correctly.

The world is indeed a small place and who knows, you might end up making some great friends. 

Why Else Could My Playstation Account Be Banned?

There may be many more reasons for being banned or suspended. Some of the most common reasons for your Playstation account or console being banned or suspended are:

  • Violating Playstation’s code of conduct
  • Violating the Playstation network terms of service
  • Using hate speech: offending words or derogatory slang that denigrates people based on their gender, sexual orientation, nationality (calling them a Jew for instance), etc.
  • Non-payment of account debt (such as filing a chargeback for a Playstation subscription or game)
  • Phishing
  • Using foul language or vulgar language
  • Reckless behavior (telling people to do things such as harm themselves)
  • Illegal activities (things like hacking other people’s accounts, using their credit card info, etc.)
  • Unauthorized software (hacking or modding your console will lead to a ban of your device)

Of course, these are far from the only reasons why your account or console could be banned but they are the primary reasons why it happens to a lot of people. Playstation’s community code of conduct covers a wide variety of different things that could get you banned or suspended beyond just those listed above.

PlayStation always sends an email that will let you know exactly why your account is not working. 

What Happens If You Report Someone On PS4/PS5?

When playing online, it is very easy to get excited when you get a good kill or are just beating everyone else at the game. Maybe you are on the opposite end though and it seems like no matter what you do there is always one player who is always winning and killing everyone else. 

If you are on the losing end of one of these types of players, you probably think that they are cheating. If they are, you will probably want to report them to PlayStation so they can be taken care of. 

When you report someone, a moderator will look over what you reported. They will determine if the person broke the rules, how long their suspension should be, or if they should be banned permanently. 

Just because you are constantly winning in a game does not mean you are cheating. If you are playing against someone though who is clearly doing things that you should not be able to do, reporting them is the way to go. 

They may not get banned or suspended immediately, but PlayStation will look into their activity and see if they are cheating or breaking any rules. 

Just because you report someone, it does not mean that they will get banned or suspended. PlayStation does a good job at looking into the video footage and determining what is needed and not just suspending someone who was reported. 

This makes the most sense as some people just do not like to lose, and will report the winners of games even if they are not breaking any rules. PlayStation wants to be fair to everyone which is why they do not immediately suspend or ban people. 

Can I Create A New PSN Account After Being Banned?

If you have been caught breaking the rules, even if it wasn’t something that bad, sometimes you can still get banned. That has been the case for many people when they changed the rules about cursing while playing online. 

A bunch of people were told that they were not allowed to say whatever they wanted while they were playing the game, and PlayStation ended up banning them. So does this mean they can never play again?

You can create a new PSN account after being banned. If it is an account ban, you can simply just create a new account. If it is an IP address ban, then you will need to contact your internet provider to change your IP address. 

While it is not hard to make either of these changes, PSN has done its job to ban you from playing. If you create another account, they will have to go through the whole process all over again before banning you. 

This is because you have paid for a new account, and even though it may have a similar name to one that they just banned, they are not allowed to just ban new accounts. This is why many people will continue to cheat and curse online and then continuously create new accounts. 

Although PlayStation may try to stop people from cheating and cursing, if someone really wants to, they will find a way. There are many deterrents, but people can always find a way around the rules if they want to. 

Can Sony Ban Your Playstation Console?

We all know that Sony can and does suspend people’s accounts as well as even ban them if the offense is bad enough. We even know that they have in the past banned a specific IP address for the same reason. 

The real question though is can sony go one step further and ban your console if you break the rules? If they can, is it legal for them to do so?

Sony can ban your console if you are breaking the rules. If your console has been banned, it will no longer connect to the PSN and will only be able to be used to play games offline. 

Sony does not mess around when it comes to banning people. They give them plenty of chances to fix their errors before they will even consider a console ban.  They will ban your console though if you continue to break the rules. 

Sony will ban a console of a player who does not follow the rules to make sure they are deterred from creating a new account. When your console is banned you would be forced to buy a whole new gaming console in order to play online ever again. 

This is a lot harder and more expensive than simply creating a new PSN account. When someone receives a console ban, most of the time they will not continue to cheat and break the rules as buying a new console is expensive. 

Conclusion

Now that you know you can be banned on PlayStation for swearing, you will need to be careful with what you say online as well as what you message people on the gaming platform.

Even if the message is not swearing, but a racial or sexist statement, you will also more than likely be banned as PlayStation takes all of these things seriously.