How to share games on PS4: PlayStation’s Share Play feature is easy to use

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Sharing games on PS4 isn’t the same as lending a disc, but it’s close enough.

Chris Parker / CNET

Are you still playing with your PlayStation 4 while waiting for a PS5 to finally become available? You can play together or share your game library with friends and family who are still using their PS4, thanks to a feature called Share Play. (If you have a friend with a PS5, you can also play their PS5 games on your PS4 with Share Play.)

Here are two ways to use Share Play to share digital copies of a PS4 game with another PS4 player. Please note that to use the Share Play feature, both users must have a PlayStation Plus membership.

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How to share games on PS4

One option you can try that has been around for a while – game sharing – works like lending someone a physical disc. This means you can essentially lend someone your game digitally, but you can’t play it at the same time. (And no, game sharing isn’t illegal on PS4.) Both users need a PlayStation Plus membership. Here’s how:

1. Log into your PlayStation account on a friend’s PS4 console.

2. Choose Settings.

3. Choose Account Management.

4. Select Activate as Primary PS4 and confirm your choice. You may need to deactivate your PS4 console, but don’t worry, you can reactivate it.

Player two will now see all of player one’s games in their library and they will be available for download to the PS4 hard drive.

Virtually share your PS4 controller with a friend.

Sarah Tew / CNET How to share the game on PS4

Here’s how to use the Share Play with a friend feature:

1. On the Invite Players screen, add the friend you want to start a party with by searching for them or selecting them from the friends list. Follow the instructions and choose Send Invitation.

2. Load the game you want to play.

3. Press the share button on the DualShock 4 controller.

4. Choose Share Playback on the TV screen.

5. Select the friend you want to share the game with from the list. After accepting your invitation, your game systems will connect and the 60-minute session will begin. After the session expires, you can immediately restart another session and pick up where you left off.

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The person you are playing with will be able to see your screen and talk to you if you are both playing with microphones. After joining a session together, you can also let your friend try the game. That’s how:

1. Press the Share button on the controller.

2. Choose Go to Party for Share Play on TV.

3. Select Give Controller to Visitor.

4. From there you can choose Allow Visitor to Play Like You or Play Together (if your game has multiplayer mode). The host will need to be a PlayStation Plus member to do this, but the visitor isn’t. Cooperative mode requires both players to be PlayStation Plus members, but in both cases 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 Resume Controller. This is also the path you will take to stop playback sharing.

Read more: These are the best gaming TVs and best gaming chairs for 2021

For more information, learn how to share your Steam library with friends, how to connect the PS4 controller to your iPhone, and how to extend the life of your PS4.

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