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PS5 does not use a setting called “Primary PS5.” The equivalent feature is Console Sharing and Offline Play. To enable it, sign in with the account that owns the games or PlayStation Plus subscription, then go to Settings → Users and Accounts → Other → Console Sharing and Offline Play → Enable.
Only one PS5 at a time can have this feature enabled for an account.
What Console Sharing and Offline Play does
When enabled on a PS5, other users on that console can generally:
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- Use downloaded media purchased by that account.
- Play supported downloaded content while the PS5 is offline.
- Use selected PlayStation Plus benefits.
The content must be owned or downloaded by the account that enabled the setting. This is intended for users sharing one console, not as an unlimited way to give remote friends access to a game library. See Sony’s PS5 sharing and offline-play guidance.
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How to enable it on your PS5
- Sign in to the PS5 with the PlayStation account that purchased the games or holds the PlayStation Plus subscription.
- Open Settings.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Select Other.
- Choose Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Enable.
The first PS5 an account uses to sign in to PlayStation will normally have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled automatically. Check the menu if you are unsure whether it is already active.
Which PlayStation Plus benefits can be shared?
Sony says selected benefits can be shared with other users on the enabled PS5, subject to account, plan, parental-control and availability limits. These include:
- Online multiplayer, subject to parental-control settings.
- Games downloaded after being purchased with a PlayStation Plus discount.
- Downloaded Monthly Plus games.
- Eligible PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Classics Catalog games, depending on the membership plan and whether each title remains available.
Console Sharing does not share the entire PlayStation Plus account. The following benefits cannot be shared with another account:
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- Automatic patch downloads.
- Early access to time-limited game trials.
For the complete benefit list, consult Sony’s PlayStation Plus sharing page.
Moving sharing to a different PS5
An account can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled on only one PS5. To move it:
- On the old PS5, sign in with the purchasing account.
- Open Settings → Users and Accounts → Other → Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Disable.
- Sign in to the new PS5 with the same account.
- Follow the same menu path and select Enable.
Enabling the feature on the new PS5 changes the sharing arrangement from the previous PS5. The account owner can still sign in and use their account on another PS5, but other users receive shared access on the one PS5 designated for Console Sharing and Offline Play.
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If you no longer have the old PS5
If the old console was sold, lost, broken or is inaccessible, sign in to Account Management and use the option to deactivate all devices remotely.
This is not a selective removal of one inaccessible PS5: remote deactivation affects all devices associated with the account. Sony also limits remote deactivation to once every six months, so do not use it casually.
PS5 versus PS4 terminology
| Console | Setting | Menu path |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Console Sharing and Offline Play | Settings → Users and Accounts → Other |
| PS4 | Activate as Your Primary PlayStation 4 | Settings → Account Management → Activate as Your Primary PlayStation 4 → Activate |
“Primary PS5” is informal or outdated wording. The PS5 setting does not replace PS4 activation: an account can have one PS5 with Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled and one primary PS4. See Sony’s PS4 activation guide.
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Troubleshooting
“Enable” is unavailable or the setting will not work
- Confirm you are signed in to the account that owns the games or subscription.
- Check whether Console Sharing and Offline Play is already enabled on another PS5.
- Disable it on the previous PS5, or use Account Management remote deactivation if that console is unavailable.
- Check the PlayStation Network status page.
- Install the latest PS5 system software.
- Restart the PS5.
- Turn off the router, wait at least five minutes, restart it, and try again.
- Sign out and sign in again with the correct account.
Another user still cannot play a downloaded game
Confirm that the purchasing account downloaded the game on that PS5 and that Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled for that account. Restart the console after changing the setting. Also check whether the title is owned outright or depends on an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
Disc games are different: this setting does not turn a disc-owned game into a digital entitlement. The disc still has to be inserted to play its game.
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Console Sharing is one possible license fix, but it does not resolve every padlock. Check that:
- The purchasing account is signed in.
- The game was purchased by that account.
- The PlayStation Plus subscription is active if access comes through Plus.
- Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled on the relevant PS5.
- The console has a working network connection when a license needs to be verified.
Network or license problems can also cause locked content. Sony discusses this type of issue in its PS5 license-error guidance.
PlayStation Plus content disappeared
Access can end when the subscription expires, when a catalog title leaves the relevant plan, or when the user is not eligible for that benefit. Child accounts remain subject to parental controls and age restrictions.
Quick Recap
Important limits and edge cases
- Only one PS5 per account can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled at a time.
- Enabling it on a new PS5 changes the status of the previously enabled PS5.
- Other users must use the enabled PS5; the setting does not grant unrestricted access on every console.
- Shared users do not receive every PlayStation Plus benefit.
- Offline play requires the relevant content to be downloaded while sharing is enabled. Online-dependent games and services may still require an internet connection.
- Catalog access depends on the membership plan and title availability.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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