Can PS5 share play with PS4? How to share PS5 screen on PS4

Wondering whether a PS5 can share play with a PS4? Or share your screen between consoles?

In an increasingly connected gaming world, where playing online with friends, either cooperatively or competitively, being able to share your PS5 gameplay or your screen can transform the gaming experience. It can mean you can walk a friend through a particularly difficult section of Returnal, or heckle them on as they finish a game of Call of Duty: Warzone.

So here is everything you need to know about Share Play. If you want more PS5 guides, check out how to fix the PS5 Internet Connection On Wi-Fi And LAN

What is PlayStation Share Play?

Share Play allows you to hand over control of your game to someone else, or play a game together, even if you aren't using the same console. Both players can enjoy the game, regardless of who actually owns it.

You can also use Share Play with players either using a PS5 or a PS4 console. It's a great way of enjoying a collaborative gaming experience, without physically being in the same place.

In order to start Share Play, you do need to be a PlayStation Plus member. A Share Play session will last for up to one hour, at which point it will automatically end. Only the host can earn trophies during a Share Play session, and only your game screen and audio are shared.

So the great news is that yes, you can use Share Play between console generations. But how exactly do you set this up? All the details you need are below.

How to Share Play on PS5

The person who starts a Share Play session is the host, and the player who joins the session is the visitor. There are two play modes - Visitor Plays as You, and Play a game with the Visitor. The first option allows the Visitor to take over control of the game, so you might use this if you are stuck on a level and need a hand getting past a tricky spot. The second option is a local multiplayer setup, and both parties need to have PlayStation Plus.

• Press the PS button to go to the control centre and select the party voice chat card.
• Select Start Share Screen, then Start Share Play.
• Select a player in the voice chat, invite the player and then select the play mode.
• Share Play starts when the invited player joins.

A couple of things to note: you can only use Share Play with one visitor at a time. And Play with Visitor is only available if the Visitor is also a PlayStation Plus member.

Credit: Sony

How to Share Play on a PS4 (2023)

To start Share Play:

• Select Share Play > Start from the party screen. When a visitor joins Share Play, your console's screen is shared with the visitor.
• To join Share Play as a visitor, select Share Play > Join Share Play from the party screen.

To let the Visitor play on your behalf:

• Select Share Play > Give Controller to Visitor from the party screen.
• To take the controller back, select Share Play > Take Back Controller from the party screen.
• Even after you take the controller, your screen will be shared until you stop Share Play.

To play a game together:

• Select Share Play > Give Controller to Visitor from the party screen.
• Choose Give Controller to Visitor and select Play a Game Together. An additional controller is then added to the game.

How to share a PS5 screen with a PS4

When you invite a PS4 player to Share Play from your PS5, you get an additional option called Share Your Screen With Visitor. Selecting this option allows you to share your PS5 screen with a PS4 player.

• READ MORE: PS5 Slow Download Speed: Why Are My PS5 Downloads So Slow, And How To Speed Up PS5 Updates

One further caveat to keep in mind. Depending on where you are based, if a game is not available then you won't be able to use it on Share Play, or some scenes might not appear. But otherwise, this is everything you need, to start enjoying Share Play with a friend.