Are you still enjoying your PlayStation 4 while you save up for a PS5? If so, there’s a feature called Share Play that allows you to play games together or share your game library with friends and family who are also using their PS4. This means that even if you haven’t upgraded to a PS5 yet, you can still enjoy gaming experiences with others who are in the same situation. Additionally, if you happen to have a friend who owns a PS5, you can even use Share Play to play their PS5 games on your PS4.
To utilize Share Play and share digital copies of a PS4 game with another PS4 player, there are two methods you can follow. It’s important to note that both you and the person you wish to share with must have an active PlayStation Plus subscription in order to use this feature.
How to gameshare on the PS4
If you’re looking to share your games with a friend on the PS4, there’s a feature called gameshare that functions similarly to lending a physical disk. It allows you to digitally lend your game to someone else, but keep in mind that both players cannot play the game simultaneously. It’s important to note that game sharing is not illegal on the PS4, and both users involved will need to have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Have your friend log into their PS4 console using your PlayStation account.
- Navigate to the Settings menu.
- Select Account Management.
- Choose Activate as Your Primary PS4 and confirm the selection. You may need to deactivate your own PS4 console temporarily, but don’t worry, you can reactivate it later.
Once these steps are completed, your friend will be able to see all of your games in their library, and they can download and play them on their PS4’s hard drive.
How to utilize Share Play on the PS4
If you want to make use of the Share Play feature with a friend on the PS4, follow these steps:
- Access the Invite Players screen and either search for your friend or select them from your friends list. Follow the provided instructions and send them an invitation.
- Load the game you wish to play.
- Press the share button on your DualShock 4 controller.
- On your TV screen, select Share Play.
- Choose the friend from your list whom you want to share your game with. Once they accept your invitation, your game systems will connect, and a 60-minute session will begin. Don’t worry if the session expires; you can immediately start another session and continue where you left off.
During the Share Play session, your friend will be able to see your screen and communicate with you if both of you are using microphones. Additionally, while in a session, you can allow your friend to try out the game. Here’s how:
- Press the share button on your controller.
- Select Go to Party for Share Play on the TV.
- Choose Give Controller to Visitor.
- From there, you can decide to either Allow Visitor to Play as You or Play a Game Together if the game supports multiplayer. It’s important to note that the host needs to have an active PlayStation Plus membership for this feature, but the visitor doesn’t require one. If you plan on playing cooperatively, both players must have PlayStation Plus memberships, but only the host needs a copy of the game.
To return to basic screen sharing, press the share button on your controller again, select Go to Party for Share Play, and choose Take back Controller. This is also the path you’ll follow to stop the Share Play session.
