You can share your PS5 games and much of your PlayStation Plus subscription with family members for free, using a built-in feature called Console Sharing and Offline Play. Turn it on for a second PS5, download your games there, and anyone else who signs in to that console can play them, even when you are not around.
It is one of the most useful PS5 settings that many players never touch. Here is how it works, what you can share, and the limits Sony puts on it.
How to turn on Console Sharing and Offline Play
The setting is switched on automatically for the first PS5 you sign in to with your PlayStation Network account. To share with someone on another PS5, you need to turn it on there yourself.
- Sign in to your PSN account on the other PS5.
- Go to Settings, then Users and Accounts.
- Select Other.
- Choose Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Enable.
How to share your games with a family member
Once the setting is on, stay signed in to your account on that PS5 and download the games and compatible DLC you want to share. Then sign in with your family member’s account on the same console. They can now play everything you downloaded, and you do not need to stay signed in for it to work.
The feature also covers offline play, so other users on that PS5 can play your digital games without an internet connection. That makes it handy for a child’s console or a second PS5 in the house.
Which PS Plus benefits are shared, and which are not
Your PlayStation Plus subscription carries over too, but only partly. The account holder needs an active subscription for any of this to work, according to PlayStation’s support page on sharing PS Plus.
| Shared with other users on the PS5 | Not shared |
|---|---|
| Online multiplayer | Cloud storage for saves |
| Monthly Games you have already downloaded | Claiming Monthly Games on their own account |
| Game Catalog titles | PS Plus store discounts |
| Classics Catalog (PS Plus Premium only) | Automatic patch downloads and early game trials |
In short, family members can play online and enjoy the catalogue, but extras like discounts and cloud saves stay with the account that pays for PS Plus. The same applies to the new PS Plus perks, which are tied to the subscriber’s account.
The limits you need to know
There is one big restriction: you can enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on only one PS5 at a time. If you want to move it to a different console, you can deactivate your PS5s remotely through PlayStation’s Account Management website, but only once every six months.
Sony applies this rule to stop people sharing one account across many households. It also matters for tricks such as using a second PSN account to play a game early. In our guide to playing GTA 6 early with the New Zealand trick, this is the setting that lets your main account launch a game bought on a different account.
Parental controls still apply
Sharing your library does not override a child’s restrictions. Age ratings and other limits on a child’s account still apply to games you share. You can manage those settings from your phone with the PlayStation Family app, available on iOS and Android.
Used properly, Console Sharing and Offline Play turns one PS Plus subscription and one game library into something the whole household can use, at no extra cost.
