TOKYO— Sony Corp. is cracking down on sexual content in PlayStation 4 videogames globally, reflecting concerns in the U.S. about the depiction of women in games but also irritating some software developers.

New in-house standards that limit sexually explicit content distinguish Sony from other game-hardware makers that allow more leeway as long as the software carries a rating from a national industry body.

A Sony spokeswoman said the company has established its own guidelines “so that creators can offer well-balanced content on the platform” and gaming “does not inhibit the sound growth and development” of young people. She declined to say when these guidelines were introduced or to discuss them in detail.

The Wall Street Journal interviewed more than a dozen developers and executives in the U.S., Europe and Japan at software companies that provide games for PlayStation 4. In confirming Sony’s new rules, some developers expressed dismay that their creativity could be hindered. They asked not to be identified because of nondisclosure contracts with Sony and fears of jeopardizing future business with Sony.

The PlayStation 4 is the world’s most widely used videogame console, with more than 94 million units sold around the globe. The machine has helped drive the Tokyo-based company’s turnaround during the past five years. About $11 billion in PlayStation 4 game software was sold in 2018, according to Sony.