Kids and Teens in China Banned From Playing Online Video Games for More Than 3 Hours Per Week

China is implementing a new online gaming restriction that will affect children and teenagers who are under 18 years old, reports CNBC. Kids will only be able to play online games for an hour a day (8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) on weekends and legal holidays. Weekday gaming is prohibited.

appstore
Companies that provide online game services to minors will need to comply with these rules and will not be able to offer the games to children outside of those hours. Gaming providers will also be required to have users register with their real names and users will need to be logged in to play. Gaming companies are responsible for ensuring minors are not accessing games outside of the permitted time.

The new rules are meant to safeguard children's physical and mental health, and the National Press and Public Administration said that the guidelines address "the problem of minors' excessive use" of online gaming. China previously had a restriction that limited gameplay to 1.5 hours per day, but gaming was allowed on most days.

Tencent, a major gaming provider in China, said that only a small amount of its gaming revenue comes from younger players. The company plans to implement the new requirements, and earlier today, expressed support for the rules.

It's not clear how these new rules will affect games that operate using the App Store. Apple Arcade is not a factor as it is not offered in China, but there are ‌App Store‌ games that require an online connection.

China in 2016 began requiring mobile gaming developers to officially license their games with the government, and in 2020, pressured Apple to remove ‌App Store‌ games from developers that did not comply. Apple has since pulled tens of thousands of games from the ‌App Store‌ in China.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
iOS 26 Everything New Feature

26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked. Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got...

Top Rated Comments

aevan Avatar
53 months ago
I’m shocked at the comments supporting this. May your wishes come true and you get to live in a country like China. You’ll love it. I just hope you don’t drag the rest of us.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tyranne201 Avatar
53 months ago
That's really bad and stupid. Games are not only entertainment. There are educational games too. Simplistic view from a totalitarian government.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
53 months ago

I’m shocked at the comments supporting this. May your wishes come true and you get to live in a country like China. You’ll love it. I just hope you don’t drag the rest of us.
Seriously, wtf is this comment section? You guys really would prefer the government to do your parenting for you? ?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aevan Avatar
53 months ago

They should do that here.
No, no they shouldn’t. It’s none of government’s business how my kids spend their time. It’s horrible.

It’s not a new concept, actually it’s quite old, dating in various forms all the way to Ancient Greece. It’s called “democracy”. Look it up.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jk73 Avatar
53 months ago
Any halfway decent parent would already do this on their own, but those are obviously in very short supply these days. Easier to park kids on the couch.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dapa0s Avatar
53 months ago

They should do that here.
I think a lot of nerds tend to be commies because they don't really understand human beings. Feel free to move to a commie country though.

Oh, wait, no! People vote with their feet and only move to the West, nvm ?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)