“Game sharing” is not the name of one PS5 feature. On PlayStation 5, it usually means either Console Sharing and Offline Play or Share Play. Console Sharing lets other profiles on one designated PS5 use the account holder’s eligible purchased and downloaded games and media, even when that console is offline. Share Play streams a game session to a remote friend, who can watch or play without owning the game. The right choice depends on whether you share a console or a play session.
What “game sharing” means on PS5
Sony’s official names are Console Sharing and Offline Play and Share Play. They solve different problems:
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| Your goal | Use | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Let other profiles on your PS5 use your purchased downloads | Console Sharing and Offline Play | Eligible games and media belonging to the enabling account become available to users of that one PS5, including while it is offline. |
| Let a friend elsewhere watch or join your current game | Share Play | Your PS5 streams the session to one online visitor. The visitor does not need to own the game. |
These features are not interchangeable. Console Sharing is a console-level access setting; Share Play is a temporary, remote streaming session. Neither feature transfers ownership of a game to another PlayStation Network account.
Console Sharing and Offline Play
What enabling it does
When you enable the setting on a PS5, any user of that console can play the games and use the media that your account purchased and downloaded, even if the PS5 has no internet connection. Sony also allows selected PlayStation Plus benefits to be shared on that console. The setting applies to the PS5 itself, not to every console on which you sign in.
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Sony says Console Sharing is automatically allowed on the first PS5 used to sign in to your account. On a different PS5, you must enable it manually. The complete menu path is Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. Choose Enable to make that console the currently enabled PS5, or Disable to remove the setting from it. Sony’s instructions are on its Console Sharing and Offline Play support page.
Important limits
- Only one PS5 can have Console Sharing enabled for an account at a time.
- Other users receive access to eligible purchased and downloaded content; they do not become owners of that content on their own accounts.
- Shared PlayStation Plus access is limited to selected benefits. Do not assume that every feature, catalog title, or account service transfers to other profiles.
- This setting is separate from other console activation limits Sony may apply to an account.
If you enable the feature on a new PS5 while it remains enabled on another one, disable it on the old console first. The new console cannot become the enabled PS5 until the previous setting has been removed.
How to enable it on a new PS5
- Sign in to the PlayStation Network account that purchased the games or holds the subscription.
- Open Settings from the PS5 home screen.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Choose Other, then Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Enable. If the account is already enabled on another PS5, follow the prompt to disable the previous console before trying again.
- Download the games or media while signed in as the purchasing account. Once installed, other profiles using that PS5 can access eligible items.
After setup, another person uses their own profile on the enabled PS5. They do not need to sign in as the purchasing account each time, and the console can continue to run eligible content when offline.
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If you cannot reach the previously enabled console, sign in to Account Management and choose the option to deactivate all devices remotely. Sony limits this all-device remote deactivation to once every six months. Because it affects every activated device associated with the account, use it only when you genuinely cannot change the setting locally. After deactivation, sign in on the PS5 you intend to share and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play there.
What shared PlayStation Plus does—and does not—mean
PlayStation Plus belongs to the subscriber’s account. Sony permits selected benefits to be shared on a primary PS4 and on one PS5 where Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled. Sony lists online multiplayer, monthly games, discounts, cloud storage, and Share Play among Plus benefits, but availability to another profile depends on the benefit, the active membership, and current catalog conditions. A catalog game can stop being available if the membership ends or Sony removes the title.
Therefore, a second profile on the enabled PS5 may be able to use a shared Plus benefit, but that is not a blanket transfer of the subscription. The account holder remains responsible for the membership, and benefit eligibility can change.
If a game appears locked
Use this checklist before changing account settings:
- Confirm that the account with Console Sharing enabled actually purchased the game or currently has the subscription needed for it.
- Check that the game has finished downloading and installing on the PS5.
- Verify that Console Sharing and Offline Play shows Enabled for the account that owns the content.
- Check whether the title came through a subscription catalog whose membership or availability has changed.
- If the feature was moved recently, sign out and back in on the purchasing account after enabling the new console.
Sony’s support guidance also directs you to verify that the person sharing the console enabled the feature and that the relevant subscription is still active.
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Share Play: a remote session, not a shared library
What Share Play does
Share Play sends your current PS5 gameplay to one online visitor through a PlayStation party. The visitor can watch, receive control of the game, or play alongside you, depending on the mode and membership requirements. The visitor does not need to own the game because the session is streamed from the host’s console. Share Play does not install the title on the visitor’s PS5 and does not add it to the visitor’s library.
Sony’s setup instructions are in How to start Share Play on your PS5 console.
How to start a Share Play session
- Launch the game on your PS5.
- Open or create a party in the voice-chat card.
- Invite the friend you want to join.
- From the party voice-chat card, select Share Play.
- Choose the mode that matches what you want the visitor to do.
- Wait for the visitor to accept the invitation and join the session.
Only one visitor can participate at a time. The session begins when the visitor joins and ends automatically one hour later; you can start another session afterward if the feature remains available for both accounts and the game.
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| Mode | Control | PlayStation Plus requirement | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor plays as you | The visitor controls the host’s game remotely while the host watches. | The host needs PlayStation Plus. | Let a friend try a section or take over your character. |
| Play with the visitor | Host and visitor play together in a supported multiplayer experience. | Both host and visitor need PlayStation Plus. | Cooperative or competitive play without the visitor owning the title. |
Game support varies. A title may not support every Share Play mode, and the game’s own multiplayer requirements still apply. Sony includes Share Play in the PlayStation Plus plans it lists on its PlayStation Plus support page.
Connection requirements
Sony recommends at least 2 Mbps upload and 2 Mbps download for both the host and the visitor for the best Share Play experience. That is a support recommendation, not a guarantee of image quality or input response. A connection that meets the threshold can still produce lag if it is congested, unstable, or being used by other traffic.
If the visitor sees a low-quality stream or delayed controls, pause large downloads and streaming on both connections, use a wired connection where practical, and stop and restart the session. Share Play cannot turn a poor connection into local-console responsiveness.
Restrictions visitors should expect
- Only the host can earn trophies during the session.
- Remote Play and Broadcast are unavailable while PS5 Share Play is active.
- The visitor cannot save screenshots or video clips.
- Age ratings, parental controls, account status, country or region availability, and game-specific rules can block or limit a session.
- Some scenes or content may be restricted from streaming.
- The one-hour session limit and one-visitor limit apply even when the network is otherwise adequate.
These restrictions mean Share Play is best for demonstrating a game, helping a friend through a section, or playing a supported short session—not for giving someone permanent access to your library.
Console Sharing vs. Share Play at a glance
| Question | Console Sharing and Offline Play | Share Play |
|---|---|---|
| Where are the people? | They use the same designated PS5, usually with separate profiles. | The visitor joins remotely through an online party. |
| What is shared? | Eligible purchased/downloaded games, media, and selected Plus benefits. | A live gameplay session from the host’s console. |
| Can the console be offline? | Yes, for eligible content on the enabled PS5. | No; both participants need an online connection. |
| Does the other person need to own the game? | No, when using the enabled PS5 and eligible content installed there. | No, because the game is streamed from the host. |
| How many consoles or visitors? | One enabled PS5 per account at a time. | One visitor per session. |
| Is PlayStation Plus required? | The console setting itself is separate from Plus; shared benefits depend on the active subscription and the specific benefit. | Host needs Plus for “Visitor plays as you”; both need Plus for “Play with the visitor.” |
| How long does access last? | While the setting, ownership or subscription eligibility, and installation remain valid. | Each session ends one hour after the visitor joins. |
Which feature fits your situation?
You share a household PS5
Use Console Sharing and Offline Play. Enable it on that household’s PS5 from the account that bought the games, then let each person use their own profile. This is the option designed for an accessible local library and offline play.
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Your friend lives elsewhere and wants to try the game
Use Share Play. Invite the friend through a party, select “Visitor plays as you,” and make sure the host has PlayStation Plus. The friend can control the streamed session without buying the title, subject to the game and account restrictions.
You want to play together online
Choose Share Play’s “Play with the visitor” mode only if the game supports it and both accounts have PlayStation Plus. The session remains temporary and streamed; it does not create a permanent shared installation.
You are replacing your PS5
Move Console Sharing rather than starting a Share Play session. Disable the setting on the old console, enable it through Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play on the replacement, and reinstall the purchased games there. If the old console cannot be reached, use Account Management’s remote all-device deactivation, remembering the six-month limit.
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“Game sharing” does not always mean remote play
People often use the phrase for both features. Ask whether the other person is using the same physical PS5 or joining over the internet. Same-console access points to Console Sharing; a temporary online invitation points to Share Play.
Share Play is not a second copy of the game
The visitor receives a stream and, in some modes, remote control. They do not receive a license, a download, a saved ownership record, or unrestricted access after the session ends.
Console Sharing is not unlimited account sharing
The setting authorizes one PS5 at a time and covers eligible content available through the enabling account. It does not promise that every Plus benefit, every catalog item, or every account service will be available to every profile.
A practical decision checklist
- Same console: enable Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Different locations: start Share Play from a party.
- Offline access: Console Sharing supports it; Share Play does not.
- Friend does not own the game: Share Play can stream it; Console Sharing helps only when that friend is using the enabled PS5.
- Remote visitor wants control: use “Visitor plays as you,” with Plus on the host account.
- Two people want to play together: use “Play with the visitor,” with Plus on both accounts and a compatible game.
- Game is locked on the shared PS5: check the purchasing account, installation, enabled setting, and subscription status before deactivating devices.
Bottom line for PS5 owners
Choose Console Sharing and Offline Play when the goal is access to one account’s eligible library on one PS5, including offline use. Choose Share Play when the goal is to show or temporarily share a live game session with one remote friend. Console Sharing is persistent console access; Share Play is a time-limited stream with mode-specific PlayStation Plus rules and technical restrictions.
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