You’ve purchased the PS5, but you soon realize it’s not cheap to purchase games as you begin to build your library.
What if a friend could share a PS5 game with you so you can download it to your console and play it for free?
A tool called “Console Sharing and Offline Play” nested into the PS5 settings will let you do just that, and we’ll show you how in this guide.
But first, let’s get to the bottom of what Console Sharing and Offline Play is.
What Is Console Sharing and Offline Play?
Console Sharing and Offline Play is a feature on the PS5 that allows you to share your purchased and downloaded digital games with a friend or family member using that particular PS5 console, even if it’s offline.
They can access your game library and download and play any games as if they owned them.
One thing you should know is that you can only enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on 1 PS5 console at a time.
Now, let me show you how easily you can share your PS5 games with a friend.
Disable “Console Sharing and Offline Play” on Your PS5
Firstly, you’ll need to disable Game Sharing on your PS5 to share a game with your friend. It’s turned on by default when you sign in to PlayStation Network for the first time.
I know it seems counterintuitive to turn off the very feature that allows game sharing on your PS5. But don’t worry. You’ll enable it on your friend’s console by logging into your PSN account.
To turn off game sharing, follow these steps:
1. On your PS5, navigate to Settings at the top right of the screen.
2. Select Users and Accounts.
3. Scroll down and select Other.
4. Choose Console Sharing and Offline Play and disable it.
As you can see from the image below, I’ve already disabled it on my PS5.
The next step is tricky as it involves giving your friend your PSN account details to create a user account for you on their console.
If you live nearby, consider doing it yourself to avoid handing over your credentials.
How to Set Up Your Friend’s PS5 for Game Sharing
This step is to share your games with a friend. If you want to use your friend’s games, you’ll need to log into their PlayStation Network account on your own PS5.
You will add a new user with your PlayStation Network account credentials to your friend’s PS5.
1. Press the PS button on your friend’s DualSense controller or select his profile avatar at the top right of the screen.
2. From the dropdown menu that shows up, select “Switch User.”
3. Select Add User.
4. Select the “Get Started” button.
5. Confirm the PS5 System Software License Agreement to continue creating a new user account.
6. You can either sign in manually or scan the QR code on the left with your phone camera.
7. Select your avatar and any other account settings you prefer.
Now that you’ve logged into your account on your friend’s PS5, you can activate the game-sharing option.
You’ll need to follow the same steps above to enable game sharing on his console.
Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. Then, enable it.
Your friend can go into your library and download any games to his console. Now, he can switch back to his own PSN account and play the game he just downloaded without paying a dime to Sony.
If the game supports multiplayer functionality, your brother can join you or anyone else in the game.
Similarly, you have the flexibility to play with anyone you choose, and both of you can play the game simultaneously.
Limitations of the Game Sharing Feature
Sharing games on the PS5 is awesome, but it’s not perfect, as it has a few limitations.
One Console at a Time
Let’s say I want to share the same game with someone who lives with me, such as my little brother. He can be annoying sometimes, but I’ll let him play.
To make this happen, I’ll need to re-enable the game-sharing option on my console and create a user account for my little brother. Now, he can access the game and play under his own PSN account.
In that case, my friend won’t be able to play the games I share with him since the sharing feature automatically turns off on his console once I re-enable it on mine.
Let’s say your friend turns on the sharing feature again under your account on his console.
My little brother will be kicked out even though he’s using my own console with the game installed on my PSN account. Remember, I can only enable the game-sharing feature on one console at a time.
Security Risks
You should also consider the security and privacy aspects when sharing games with a friend.
For example, if your friend isn’t trustworthy, they could potentially access your payment information, download unauthorized purchases, or snoop through your messages.
Make sure you only share with someone you completely trust and not a stranger that you found online.
Or you could set up a login passcode to your account to protect your privacy.
Account Dependency
Shared games are tied to the account that purchased them. For example, if you decide to stop sharing or change your account password, your friend will lose access to the shared game.
Final Thoughts on Sharing Games on PS5
As you can see, it’s quick and easy to share games on PS5, like the old times when we used to share cartridges and disks between friends, but it comes with certain risks, as mentioned in the article.
Remember, this feature is intended for family sharing, allowing others in your home to play the installed games on your console under their own PSN account.
Now you must wonder if you could get in trouble by sharing games with friends like your account getting banned.
You’re breaking the Terms of Service and User Agreement with Sony when sharing games with friends or a family member who is not in your household.
From the Terms of Service and User Agreement made with Sony:
Do not share, buy, sell, rent, sublicense, trade, or transfer any accounts, account details, or other credentials.
It’s true that Sony is aware of people sharing games with friends, and while it technically goes against the Terms of Service (TOS), they haven’t aggressively enforced this rule.
Many users share games without facing any repercussions, and there’s little evidence of widespread bans solely for game sharing.
If you have any feedback or questions, then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
