How to start Share Play on your PS5 console

With Share Play you can take control of your friend's gameplay if they give you permission. This way you can both enjoy the game regardless of who owns it.

How to start Share Play on your PS5 console

To start Share Play, you need to be a PlayStation®Plus member.

PlayStation Plus support
Start party voice chat
  1. Press the PS button on your controller to open up the control centre, and select the party voice chat card.
  2. Select StartShare Play.
  3. Invite a friend, and then select a play mode.
    Share Play Starts when the player joins and becomes your visitor.
  • You can use Share Play with only one visitor at a time.
  • If you want to use Share Play with a guest account, go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions and select User Creation and Guest Login > Allow.
  • For best performance, we recommend a high-speed connection of at least 2Mbps for you and your visitor.
  • If the invited player isn’t a PlayStation Plus member, Share Play with the Visitor can't be selected.
Share Play on PS4 consoles

How to join Share Play on your PS5 console

  1. Find your friend's invite to Share Play by opening the invite notification and selecting Join.
    The host's game screen then appears on your screen with the game mode pre-chosen by the host.
Check notifications on PS5 consoles

  1. To leave Share Play, select the party voice chat card, select the host, and then select Leave Share Play Session.
    You can also close Share Play from your Games home.

  • Share Play appears in your games home while Share Play is underway. Use the Share Play icon to launch the host's game screen after going to another screen. The icon disappears when the session ends.

  • When you join Share Play, any game you're playing is suspended. Don't worry, you'll pick up right where you left off when you resume your game. If you were playing an online game, the network connection for the game ends when you join Share Play. You'll have to manually reconnect when you resume your game.

  • You can find the games the host lets you play in your games home. Check out a game's hub to learn more about it.

Share Play modes on PS5 consoles

  • When you start Share Play, you're the host and your friend who joins is the visitor.

Visitor plays as you

  • Need a hand? Give the visitor control over your game. 

  • As the host, you need to be a PlayStation® Plus member.

Play with the visitor

  • Play a game together as host and visitor. 

  • Both the host and visitor need to be PlayStation Plus members.

  • To change the play mode or stop Share Play, go to the control centre, select the party voice chat card, and then select Share Play Options. 

  • When you invite a PlayStation®4 console player to Share Play, Share Your Screen with Visitor appears as one of the play modes. This lets you share your screen with a PS4 console player. 

  • A Share Play session lasts for one hour and automatically ends one hour after the visitor joins.

Share Play restrictions

Depending on your account and the game played, Share Play may not be available, or some scenes may not appear to the visitor.

  • Only the host can earn trophies during Share Play.
  • Remote Play and Broadcast are not available during Share Play on PS5 consoles.
  • If the visitor's age is lower than the game's age rating on PlayStation Store, the visitor is unable to access Share Play.
Age rating on PlayStation
  • If the visitor's parental controls are set up to restrict their access to Share Play, please follow the guide below for steps on how to make an exception.
Make an exception on PS5 consoles
  • If the game isn’t available in the visitor’s country/region, the visitor is unable to access Share Play.
  • Visitors can’t save screenshots or video clips during Share Play.
  • During Share Play, when the host views a screen other than the game screen, a standby image appears on the visitor's system.
  • When the host has HDR enabled, the colours in the video seen by the visitor might be different from the colours seen by the host.

Share Play and Share Screen explained

Share ScreenShare Play
  • Let other players in a party watch your gameplay in real time as if you're all in the same room.
  • Your game screen appears on another player's screen. Both of you can enjoy the same game, regardless of who owns it.
  • You need to be a PlayStation Plus member.
PlayStation Plus support
Share Play on PS4 consoles

Having issues?

  • To get the best experience from Share Play, a minimum upstream and downstream connection speed of 2 Mbps is recommended for both the host and the visitor.
  • Test your internet connection by going to Settings > Network and selecting Test Internet Connection. If you’re having internet issues, check the guide below for troubleshooting steps.
PlayStation Repairs

Need help? 

Contact our support specialists

Contact PlayStation Support