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Can you gameshare on PlayStation 5?

You can do it with the Switch and Xbox Series X, so what about PS5?

Playstation 5 controller on table dualsense
Image: Unsplash

If you managed to snag a PlayStation 5 when stores actually had stock, congratulations! Now it’s time to figure out what games to buy and play, but with next-gen games still in development, you might want to find a way to get gaming that doesn’t cost you a fortune.

You could buy some PS4 games, or borrow some DVDs from a friend if you know anyone that still buys physical media and isn’t averse to lending them out. It would be easy if you had a Nintendo Switch or an Xbox Series X, as you could use gameshare to borrow a digital library from a trusted friend.

Can you do the same on your new PlayStation 5?

So, can you gameshare on your PS5?

Short answer: Yes

Sony’s PlayStation 5 does have gameshare functionality, where you can play your friends’ or family members’ games on the same console, and even share PlayStation Plus. Make sure it’s someone you really trust, as you’re tying their account to your console, and vice-versa if you do the same on theirs.

There are three main parts to set up gamesharing:

Make sure Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled on your PlayStation 5

Sony playstation 5 versions
Image: Sony
  1. Turn on your PS5, and go to the Settings menu at the top-right of the main interface
  2. Navigate to Users and Accounts
  3. Scroll down to Other near the bottom of the list of options, then select Console Sharing and Offline Play
  4. Read what the next screen says.
    1. If it says You don’t have a PS5 with [Console Sharing and Offline Play] enabled at the top, head on to the next section because you have everything set how you need it.
    2. If you see [Console Sharing and Offline Play] is enabled for you on this PS5 you’ll want to Disable that and back out to the main menu

This is because you want the secondary PlayStation account (your friend’s who you’re gamesharing from) to be tied to your console, not your main account.

Sign in to the second PlayStation account (the one with the games you want to share)

  1. Select your account picture at the top right, then select Switch User
  2. Then you want Add User
  3. Make sure you select Get Started under Add a User to this PS5 otherwise you won’t get the option you need to enable gamesharing
  4. You’ll need the username and password of the PlayStation account you’ll be adding, as well as access to their Two-factor authentication method, if they have it set up

Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play so it all works

  1. Now you’re signed into the secondary account on the PlayStation 5, head back to Settings and find Users and Accounts > Console Sharing and Offline Play
  2. When you get to the screen you saw earlier, it should say You don’t have a PS5 with [Console Sharing and Offline Play] enabled at the top of the screen
  3. Select Enable and you’ll have gamesharing set up.

Now to use games owned on the secondary account, you’ll still need to be signed into that account, and download them while signed in. Once the download is finished, you can swap back to your Primary account and you’ll be able to play anything you installed. The only restriction? You have to be connected to the internet to play any games you own on your Primary account.

Share Play on PS4 and PS5

You don’t have to share your entire account to share games with a friend, or to play two-player as if you’re playing local co-op. That’s because both the PS4 and PS5 have a neat feature called Share Play, which lets you either lend one game to a friend or play as if you’re sat in the same room.

You can only Share Play with one other person, and they have to be a PlayStation Plus member for it to work. The two play modes are Visitor plays as you, where the person you’re inviting is now player 1, or Play a game with the visitor, where you’re playing local multiplayer in whatever game you choose.

On PS5:

  1. Start a party voice chat
  2. Select Start Share Screen, then Start Share Play
  3. Choose a player in the voice chat, then invite them.
  4. Share Play will start as soon as they accept the invite
  5. The Party voice chat card gives you options for changing the play mode or stopping Share Play

On PS4:

  1. Go to the Invite Players screen, add the friend you want to party up with, then Send Invitation
  2. Load up the game you want to play together
  3. Press the Share button on your controller
  4. Select Share Play from the options showing on your TV screen
  5. Then select the player you want to share the game with from the list. Your systems will link up once they accept, and start a 60-minute gaming session. You can start another session to continue immediately after that 60-minutes is up, if you’re still wanting to play.

Enjoy gamesharing with your trusted friends, and even sharing PlayStation Plus benefits so you can save a little bit each year between you. Once it’s enabled, you don’t have to worry about it ever again. Well, maybe if you stop being friends, but changing your password should log out the account from the other PS5 console.

Have any thoughts on this? Plan on setting up gamesharing on PlayStation 5? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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