Disney's Circle can pause the game's internet access.
Disney’s Circle is a parental control device that pairs with a home’s Wi-Fi network and lets parents set time limits on laptops, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and other devices that are connected to the same network.
The Circle can be used to set up time limits and age filters for each individual child, with time being added up across every device a child may use. That is, if you set your child’s time limit to 60 minutes, it won’t matter if your little one has only spent 45 minutes playing Minecraft. When they hit 60 minutes across all devices, that’s it. Once the time limit has been hit, the Circle will stop them from accessing online content on their devices.
Now, Forbes reported the Circle has a new setting based on a very specific game: Fortnite. Currently the most popular game in the world, Fortnite can draw players in for hours at a time as they try to earn that elusive Victory Royale, but with this setting, Circle can tell them when enough is enough.
Parents will first need to add Fortnite as a platform in the Circle mobile app (Forbes has a list of instructions, here), but once that’s done, they can set a time limit for Fortnite just like they can other individual apps. When kids hit their time limit, the game will no longer be able to connect to the internet. Fortnite is an online game, so that will instantly put an end to their play time.
This feature has great potential, but we recommend letting kids know how much time they have before they dive into their first match. That way, they may be able to anticipate when the internet will cut off, so they don’t start a new game with only a few minutes left. If not, you’re running the risk of having some very annoyed kids and teens when the game goes dark and they were this close to winning.
Circle isn’t the only device parents can use to control how their kids play video games. The three major consoles (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch) all offer their own forms of parental controls, which you can learn more about in our guide.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
