Top 10 Online Gaming Platforms With Chat Features in Australia (2027)

Key takeaways

• Twitch is the only gaming platform here that eSafety lists as age-restricted. Under-16s in Australia cannot hold accounts.
• Discord, Roblox and Steam are on eSafety's list of services it considers not age-restricted, so under-16s can still use them.
• Roblox requires a facial age check or ID before chat, enforced in Australia from the first week of December 2025.
• Discord made every Australian account "teen by default" from 9 December 2025. Adults must verify to unlock full access.
• Console chat usually needs a membership: Xbox Game Pass Essential from A$12.95 a month, PlayStation Plus Essential from A$14.95 a month, and Nintendo Switch Online for Switch 2 GameChat.

This guide explains how the rules apply in general terms and is not legal advice. eSafety's lists can change, so check the current position on its website.

Is gaming covered by Australia's under-16 social media ban?

This is the question most Australian parents and players are asking, and the answer is mostly no, with two important exceptions.

Since 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from having accounts. The eSafety Commissioner's published lists, first released on 21 November 2025 and re-confirmed in March 2026 after the rules were amended, put the gaming-relevant services like this:

The reason most gaming platforms fall outside the ban is a specific exclusion. The legislative rules exclude services whose sole or primary purpose is to let users play online games with other users. A service that mainly lets people post content and also offers games does not get that exclusion, which is why live streaming platforms like Twitch and Kick are treated differently from games themselves.

Two caveats matter. eSafety says it has no formal role in declaring which services are age-restricted, and that a court makes any final determination. And the position can change as platforms add features: a game that becomes primarily a place for social interaction could be reassessed.

How the 10 platforms compare

Prices are from Xbox and PlayStation's Australian websites, checked 4 November 2026. "Not named" means a platform does not appear on either of eSafety's published lists.

We ranked the platforms by the breadth of their chat features, how widely Australian players use them, and how much control they give over who can talk to whom. Discord comes first because chat is the entire product; the consoles follow because voice chat is built into the system rather than each game.

The 10 best gaming platforms with chat in Australia

1. Discord

Discord is the default chat layer for gamers on every platform, with text channels, voice and video calls, screen sharing and community servers. eSafety lists it as not age-restricted, but Discord changed its Australian defaults ahead of the ban: from 9 December 2025, every Australian account gets a teen-appropriate experience until the user confirms they are an adult.

Strengths

• The richest chat features of any platform here, and free, working across PC, console and mobile.
• Teen-by-default in Australia: sensitive images are blurred, and direct messages from non-friends in larger servers go to a separate message request inbox.
• Alerts for friend requests from potentially unfamiliar users are on by default for all Australian accounts and cannot be switched off.
• Age checks use a video selfie that Discord says never leaves the device, or an ID that its partner deletes immediately after confirmation.

Limitations

• Community servers vary enormously in moderation quality, and server owners set many of the rules.
• Adults must complete an age check to access age-restricted servers and change the teen defaults.
• Not a game platform itself, so it sits alongside rather than replaces in-game chat.

2. Steam

Steam, Valve's PC platform, has built-in Steam Chat for text and voice, plus group chats and friends lists. eSafety names "Steam and Steam Chat" on its list of services it considers not age-restricted.

Strengths

• Free, and the largest PC gaming platform, so most PC players already have it.
• Steam Families lets parents restrict a child's access to the Steam Store, Community or Friends Chat.
• Parents can also set hourly or daily playtime limits and approve requests for more time or features.

Limitations

• PC focused, so it does not cover console friends.
• Chat features are simpler than Discord, which many Steam users run alongside it.
• Parental controls only apply once a child account is added to a Steam Family.

3. Xbox network

Xbox builds party voice chat and messaging into the console, PC and mobile app. Online console multiplayer is included from Xbox Game Pass Essential, which Xbox's Australian site lists at A$12.95 a month, with Premium at A$17.95, Ultimate at A$25.95 and PC Game Pass at A$16.95.

Strengths

• Voice chat built into the system, so it works the same across every game.
• Cross-device: chat continues between console, PC and the Xbox mobile app.
• Microsoft family settings let parents control who a child can communicate with.

Limitations

• Online console multiplayer in most games needs a paid membership.
• Not named on eSafety's lists, so its position under the ban rests on the gaming exclusion.
• Family settings need setting up from a parent's Microsoft account.

4. PlayStation Network

PlayStation has party voice chat and messaging built into PS5 and PS4. Online multiplayer is included with all PlayStation Plus memberships; Essential, the entry tier, is listed in Australia at A$14.95 a month, A$43.95 for three months or A$112.95 a year.

Strengths

• System-level party chat that works across games.
• The annual Essential plan works out cheaper per month than paying monthly.
• Family management tools let parents limit communication and spending.

Limitations

• Online multiplayer needs a membership, at a higher monthly entry price than Xbox Game Pass Essential.
• Not named on eSafety's lists.
• Chat is limited outside the console compared with Discord.

5. Roblox

Roblox combines millions of user-made games with text and voice chat, and is hugely popular with younger players. eSafety lists it as not age-restricted, but Roblox made age checks mandatory for chat, with enforcement starting in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in the first week of December 2025 before rolling out worldwide in January 2026.

Strengths

• Chat requires a facial age estimate through the app or an ID check, and Roblox groups users into age bands so they mostly chat with similar ages.
• Chat is off by default for children under 9 unless a parent consents after an age check.
• Free to play, with parental controls over chat and spending.

Limitations

• Age estimation is not perfect, and Roblox's own accuracy figures are company claims.
• The sheer volume of user-made games makes content quality uneven.
• eSafety says a platform's status can change as its features and use change, so Roblox's position is not permanent.

6. Fortnite

Fortnite, from Epic Games, has voice and text chat in squads and parties. Its chat defaults for young players are shaped by a 2022 settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission, under which Epic agreed to pay $520 million in total and must keep voice and text chat off by default for children and teens.

Strengths

• Voice and text chat are off by default for children and teens, a stricter starting point than most games.
• Free to play on console, PC and mobile.
• Epic's parental controls cover chat, friend requests and spending.

Limitations

• Not named on eSafety's lists.
• A large, open player base means stranger contact is possible once chat is switched on.
• The settlement is a US order, so check Fortnite's current Australian settings directly.

7. Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo added GameChat to the Switch 2, opened with the C button on the Joy-Con 2. It supports voice chat through a built-in microphone, video with a compatible USB-C camera, sessions of up to 12 friends, and screen sharing for up to four people. Nintendo's Australian site says that after 31 March 2026, a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to use GameChat.

Strengths

• Built-in voice, video and screen sharing without extra apps.
• Friends-based by design, which limits contact with strangers.
• Nintendo's Parental Controls app lets parents manage communication and play time.

Limitations

• GameChat needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership since 31 March 2026.
• Video needs a separate camera.
• Switch 2 only, not the original Switch.

8. Minecraft

Minecraft, owned by Microsoft, has text chat in multiplayer worlds, servers and Realms. It is one of the most widely played games among Australian children.

Strengths

• Multiplayer is often limited to friends and family worlds, which keeps contact contained.
• Uses Microsoft family settings, the same controls as Xbox.
• Available on almost every device.

Limitations

• Public servers are run by third parties with varying moderation.
• Not named on eSafety's lists.
• Online play on consoles follows each console's own rules.

9. Twitch

Twitch is the leading live streaming platform for gaming, built around real-time chat beside each stream. It is the one gaming platform on this list that eSafety considers age-restricted, so it must take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from having accounts.

Strengths

• The biggest community for watching and discussing games live.
• Channel moderators and automated tools manage chat.
• Free to watch and chat.

Limitations

• Not available to Australians under 16 under the social media minimum age law.
• Chat in large streams moves fast and is hard to moderate.
• A watching platform, not a place to play.

10. Battle.net

Battle.net, Blizzard's PC launcher, connects players across games such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2 and Diablo, with friends lists, text chat and voice chat in supported games.

Strengths

• One friends list and chat across all Blizzard games.
• Free to use as a platform.
• Blizzard offers parental controls for Battle.net accounts.

Limitations

• Only covers Blizzard's own games.
• Not named on eSafety's lists.
• Most players use Discord for voice instead.

Chat safety settings every Australian parent should check

Whatever the platform, a few settings do most of the work:

• Limit chat to friends. Every major platform lets you restrict voice and text to approved friends. This single setting removes most stranger contact.
• Use the platform's own family tools. Steam Families, Microsoft family settings for Xbox and Minecraft, PlayStation family management and Nintendo's Parental Controls app all let you control communication from a parent account.
• Complete age checks properly. Roblox and Discord base their protections on age, so a correctly verified account gets the right defaults.
• Keep voice chat off for younger children. Text chat is easier to review and filter than live voice.
• Talk about reporting. Make sure children know how to block and report on each platform, and that they can tell you without losing access.

If something serious happens, such as cyberbullying of a child or image-based abuse, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner through eSafety's reporting page as well as to the platform.

What to look for in a gaming chat platform

• Chat types. Text, voice, video and screen sharing. Discord and Nintendo's GameChat offer the widest range.
• Who can contact you. Friends-only defaults matter more than any filter.
• Cost. PC platforms and Discord are free. Console chat for online play usually needs a membership.
• Age protections. In Australia, check both whether the platform is age-restricted and what age checks it applies itself.
• Cross-platform reach. If friends play on different devices, a cross-platform tool like Discord keeps everyone together.

Building a gaming or chat app?

If you are on the other side of this, building a game or a community app with chat, the Australian rules are a design decision from day one. Whether your service's primary purpose is gaming or social interaction affects whether the under-16 obligation applies, so it is worth getting advice before launch. Our guides to indie game monetization, building a voice chat app and what it costs to build an app cover the commercial side.

Conclusion

For most Australian players, the best setup is Discord for chat alongside whichever platform you play on: Steam on PC, Xbox network or PlayStation Network on console, or Nintendo Switch Online for Switch 2 GameChat. Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft each bring their own chat for the players they are built around.

The Australian twist is the under-16 social media law. Twitch is the only gaming platform here that eSafety treats as age-restricted, so it is off limits to under-16s. Discord, Roblox and Steam remain available, but each has added its own age checks and teen defaults. For parents, the platform matters less than the settings: friends-only chat, the platform's family tools and properly completed age checks protect children better than any single choice of app.

Sources

• Australia's under-16 law and platform lists: eSafety Commissioner, page updated 16 September 2026.
• Discord's Australian defaults: Discord Safety Centre.
• Roblox chat age checks: Roblox investor relations.
• Steam Families: Steam announcement.
• Xbox and PlayStation Australian prices: each company's Australian website, checked 4 November 2026.
• Nintendo GameChat: Nintendo Australia.
• Epic Games settlement: the US Federal Trade Commission's December 2022 Epic Games orders, published at ftc.gov.