How To Enable Share Play | PS5 Remote Co-op Setup

PS5 Share Play lets a friend remotely control your games or play co-op alongside you, and enabling it requires PS Plus and a quick setup through the Control Center’s Party chat.

Enabling Share Play on a PS5 works two ways depending on which feature you actually mean. How to enable Share Play for remote co-op — where a friend takes over your controller or plays split-screen from their own couch — requires PlayStation Plus and a few taps in the Control Center’s Party menu. The other feature, Console Sharing and Offline Play, is what most people call “game sharing,” and it lives in a separate Settings panel with a different set of steps. Both are covered below, plus a quick note on Apple’s unrelated SharePlay for iPhone users who land here by accident.

What Is PS5 Share Play Exactly?

PS5 Share Play is the remote co-host feature that lets one player (the Host) invite a friend (the Visitor) to control their games or play together as if they were in the same room. It’s not the same as Screen Share, which only lets the Visitor watch — Share Play passes the controller. The Host must have any tier of PlayStation Plus, and sessions are capped at one hour before they disconnect and need a restart. The Visitor does not need PS Plus to join.

How To Start Share Play On PS5

Share Play runs inside a Party Voice Chat, so the first step is getting your friend into a party. Once you’re both in, the setup takes about 15 seconds.

1. Press the PS button to open the Control Center.
2. Select Game Base > Create Party and invite the friend you want to play with.
3. In the party screen, select your friend’s name and then choose Share Screen.
4. Tap Start Share Play from the party settings menu.
5. Pick a mode: Play a game with Visitor (co-op, where both players see the same screen and alternate control) or Visitor Plays as You (the friend takes over your controller).

Your friend will see a connection prompt on their end. Once they accept, Share Play starts immediately. The session runs for exactly one hour, after which you’ll both need to restart from step three.

PS5 Share Play Requirements

Only the Host needs PlayStation Plus — any tier (Essential, Extra, or Premium) works. Both players need a stable internet connection; Sony recommends at least 15 Mbps download for a smooth experience. The feature works on all PS5 models, including the standard, Digital Edition, and PS5 Pro. Your console must be running the latest system software, which is free to install from Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update.

Console Sharing And Offline Play: The Game Sharing Route

This is the “game sharing” feature that lets two friends access each other’s digital libraries. It does not require PS Plus, but it does require swapping account credentials and enabling Console Sharing on the other person’s console. The setup is straightforward but has a few critical steps.

1. Disable sharing on your own PS5. Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. If it’s currently Enabled, select Disable.
2. Log into your friend’s PS5. On their console, select Add User > Create User and sign in with your PSN email and password. If 2FA is active on your account, you’ll need the verification code that gets sent to your phone.
3. Enable Console Sharing on their console. While still logged in as you on their PS5, navigate back to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and select Enable.
4. Restore licenses. Go to Game Library > select Restore Licenses to ensure all content shows up correctly.
5. Your friend does the same. They log into your PS5 using their credentials and enable Console Sharing there. Once done, both of you can download and play each other’s games from your own accounts.

This arrangement stays active until someone turns off Console Sharing on their console or logs out. If games stop working, run Restore Licenses again before troubleshooting anything else.

Common Mistakes That Break Share Play

Several predictable errors cause the most frustration. Here is what actually goes wrong and how to fix it fast.

• Confusing Share Play with Screen Share. Screen Share only lets your friend watch. If they can’t press buttons, the Host did not start Share Play — just the screen share. Go back into the party settings and select Start Share Play specifically.
• Skipping Restore Licenses. After enabling Console Sharing on a friend’s PS5, games may show as locked. Running Restore Licenses in Settings always fixes this. PlayStation’s official Share Play guide confirms this step is mandatory after any sharing change.
• Session timeout surprise. Share Play auto-disconnects at exactly 60 minutes. There is no warning chime. Just restart the Share Play from the party menu — the hour resets.
• Consoles from different regions. Game sharing works across different regions (a US account with a European account, for example), but DLC may not transfer if the license region differs. Base games usually work fine.
• Forgetting to disable sharing first. If Console Sharing is already enabled on your own console, enabling it on a friend’s console won’t work properly. Disable it on yours first, then enable on theirs.

What About iPhone SharePlay?

Apple’s SharePlay is a completely separate feature built into iOS 15 and later. It lets you watch movies, listen to music, or share your screen during a FaceTime call. It does not require a subscription, works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and is started from within a supported app — tap the content, choose SharePlay, and invite FaceTime contacts. There is no session limit and no controller-sharing involved. If you were looking for iPhone SharePlay, open FaceTime first, then launch a compatible app and tap the SharePlay button that appears.

The Right Share Play Feature For Your Situation

If you want a friend to help you beat a boss or play a co-op game you own, use PS5 Share Play — it takes 15 seconds in the Party menu and requires PS Plus on your end. If you want to swap game libraries with a friend so each of you buys half the games, use Console Sharing and Offline Play — it needs account logins but no subscription. And if you landed here looking for iPhone’s co-watching feature, open FaceTime and a supported app, then tap SharePlay.

One last check for PS5 users: before you start either feature, make sure both consoles have the latest system software installed. That single update fixes more Share Play connection issues than any other step.