Sony has internal policies in place to reduce sexual content in PS4 games

Sony has its own rules in place for what content makes it onto the PlayStation 4, rules that are sometimes stricter than those of regional rating systems like the ESRB.

The company said as much in conversation with the Wall Street Journal (via Engadget), explaining that it has its own guidelines in place that deal with sexual material in games, though the company didn't detail if how long the policy has been in place.

The story doesn’t mention the specific rules or what Sony considers an appropriate threshold for sexual content, but a spokesperson said that the goal is to help devs “offer well-balanced content” without interfering with “the sound growth and development” of younger players.

As Engadget points out, this internal policy may be why the most recent Devil May Cry used a noticible lens flare to cover up some minor nudity in the PlayStation 4 version of the game, a change that wasn't reflected in the Japanese PS4 release or worldwide PC and Xbox One versions. As mentioned by Eurogamer, some other games have reportedly been delayed on PS4 in the past due to requests that the developers remove some content deemed inappropriate ahead of its release.