Can You Shareplay Streamed Games? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is yes, you can shareplay streamed games, but it’s important to distinguish between Share Screen and Share Play functionalities on PlayStation consoles. These features allow you to share your gaming experience with friends, but they operate in different ways and have specific requirements. While Share Screen allows friends to watch you play, Share Play goes a step further by letting them take control or participate in local multiplayer games remotely. However, neither of these functionalities, by themselves, are directly related to streaming gameplay to platforms like Twitch or YouTube for public audiences, they are features to share the game experience with friends in a private manner. This article dives deep into both features, addressing common questions and concerns related to game sharing and streaming on PlayStation consoles.
Understanding Share Screen vs. Share Play
The key to grasping the concept of sharing gameplay is understanding the difference between Share Screen and Share Play.
Share Screen: The Spectator Mode
Share Screen essentially lets you broadcast your gameplay in real-time to a party of friends on your PlayStation console (PS4 or PS5). It’s like inviting your friends into your living room to watch you play. They can see everything happening on your screen, but they cannot interact with the game. This is a great way to showcase your skills, get feedback, or just hang out with friends while you’re gaming. Importantly, no PlayStation Plus subscription is required for the viewers to participate; only the host needs to be online. Share Screen is ideal for a passive viewing experience.
Share Play: Interactive Gaming with Friends
Share Play, on the other hand, is an interactive experience that allows another player to participate in your game remotely. This can happen in two ways:
- Handing over the controller: You can virtually “hand over” the controller to a friend, letting them play the game as if they were sitting next to you.
- Local Multiplayer over the Internet: You can invite a friend to join a local multiplayer game, even if the game doesn’t natively support online multiplayer.
This feature is ideal for sharing game experiences when one of you doesn’t own the game. It allows both of you to experience it together. However, both the host and visitor need to be PlayStation Plus members to use Share Play. Share Play is a more involved and interactive experience compared to Share Screen.
Share Play and Streaming
While Share Play allows friends to control your game or play with you, it doesn’t inherently stream your gameplay to public platforms. It’s a closed, peer-to-peer connection between you and your friend within the PlayStation network. Streaming, as in broadcasting your game to platforms like Twitch or YouTube, is a separate functionality. This is done through the “Broadcast Gameplay” feature on PlayStation consoles, which directly connects with streaming services. While you can have friends watch you play using Share Screen, that audience is limited to your party, it does not broadcast publicly to a wider audience.
The main question “Can you Shareplay streamed games?” becomes nuanced. While you cannot use “Share Play” to stream a game publicly, you can use Share Screen to show a private stream to your friends in a party, or you can use the console’s broadcasting tools to stream publically. Share play is for interactive sessions between two Playstation Plus members.
Key Differences Summarized
To solidify these concepts, let’s highlight the key differences:
- Share Screen:
- Allows friends to watch your gameplay.
- No PlayStation Plus required for the viewers.
- Passive viewing experience.
- Private, not publicly streamed.
- Share Play:
- Allows friends to take control or play with you.
- PlayStation Plus required for both host and visitor.
- Interactive gaming experience.
- Private connection between two users, not publicly streamed.
- Broadcast Gameplay:
- Allows you to publicly stream your gameplay to platforms like Twitch, YouTube and others.
- Generally, there are no subscriptions required for broadcasting.
- Allows your game to be seen by anyone on that platform.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do both people need PS Plus for Share Screen?
No, only the host needs to have a PlayStation Plus subscription to use Share Screen. The viewers in the party do not need to be subscribed.
2. Can I Shareplay online games?
Yes, Share Play allows you to share online games. Your visitor can take control of your character or join in local multiplayer games.
3. Can you share play and stream on PS4?
Yes, you can Share Play and stream separately on PS4. You can either Share Play with a friend (private, interactive session), or you can stream your game publicly using the console’s broadcasting feature. They are separate functionalities.
4. Why doesn’t Share Play work on PS5?
Share Play requires that both the host and the visitor have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. If either doesn’t, Share Play will not function.
5. Can 2 people play the same game on Shareplay?
Yes, with Share Play, two players can share the game screen. The host initiates Share Play, and the visitor joins.
6. Can you game share on PS4 with 2 accounts?
Yes, you can game share with one other account at a time on PS4. Both accounts need their own PlayStation Plus subscriptions for the games to be accessible.
7. What games can you share play on PS4?
You can Share Play most games on PS4, including popular titles like Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Tomb Raider. The key is that the game needs to be locally compatible or have a single controller option for online use.
8. How do I start streaming games with friends on PS5?
To stream publicly, you need to use the “Broadcast Gameplay” feature. Tap the ‘Share’ button on your controller, select ‘Broadcast Gameplay,’ and then choose your streaming service.
9. How do you Share Play on PlayStation Plus?
After starting a party voice chat, press the PS button to go to the control center and select the party voice chat card, then choose Start Share Play. Remember that both you and the friend you’re sharing with must have an active PlayStation Plus account.
10. Can you have 2 PS5 in one house?
Yes, you can have multiple PS5 consoles in one house. Each account can designate one console as its primary console, which allows other accounts on that console to access their purchased games.
11. How does game share work on PS5?
To game share on PS5, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play to enable the feature. This allows someone to use your games when they log in to your console with their account.
12. Has PS4 stopped game sharing?
No, PS4 game sharing still works, but remember, you can only share with one other person at a time and neither of you can play at the same time under the license sharing.
13. How many people can you game share with?
You can only game share with one other person at a time. Sharing with more than one person can put your account at risk.
14. How many accounts can you share games with on PS4?
You can only game share with one other account at a time, and both accounts need a PlayStation Plus subscription.
15. What apps do Share Play work with?
SharePlay, the Apple feature, is different than the PSN Shareplay feature, and only works with apps that have specifically partnered with Apple, such as Hulu, HBO Max, Twitch, and others. It requires Facetime and Apple devices. It is not related to PlayStation.
Conclusion
In summary, while you can’t directly Share Play and stream publicly at the same time, the PlayStation ecosystem offers multiple avenues to share your gaming experience with friends, whether it’s passively watching your gameplay with Share Screen, interactively playing together with Share Play, or publicly broadcasting to platforms like Twitch using the Broadcast Gameplay function. By understanding the distinctions between these features, you can fully utilize the social gaming capabilities of your PlayStation console and choose the best way to play with or in front of an audience.