How to Download Someone Else’s Game on PS5
Want to expand your PS5 game library without breaking the bank? One of the best features of the PlayStation ecosystem is the ability to share digital games with friends and family. This allows you to access a wider range of titles and experience new adventures without purchasing every game individually. Here’s how to download someone else’s game on your PS5:
The core of game sharing on the PS5 revolves around enabling Console Sharing and Offline Play. This setting allows you to access another user’s digital library on a designated console. The process is simple but must be set up correctly to avoid any issues.
First, you’ll need access to your friend’s PlayStation Network (PSN) account. This requires them to either be physically present or provide their login credentials, which includes their email address and password. Ensure you are both comfortable with this process before proceeding, as sharing account details does pose a security risk, so proceed with caution.
- Log in to Your Friend’s Account: On your PS5, go to Settings from the home screen. Then, navigate to Users and Accounts. Select Users, then Add User. Choose to Create a User. At this point, your friend should log in using their PSN account information.
- Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play: Once logged in with your friend’s account, navigate to Settings again, then Users and Accounts. Select Other and then turn Console Sharing and Offline Play to “Enabled.” This is crucial; without enabling it, you won’t be able to download or play games from your friend’s library while logged into your account.
- Sign Out and Back into Your Account: Now, sign out of your friend’s account and log back into your own PSN account on your PS5.
- Access Game Library: Go to your Game Library from the Games home screen. You should now see games owned by your friend’s account.
- Download the Game: Find the game you want to download from your friend’s library and select it. Then, select the option to Download. The game will begin downloading and installing automatically.
Once downloaded, the game will be playable on your account as long as the Console Sharing and Offline Play feature remains enabled on your friend’s account and their account is listed on the same PS5 console.
Important Considerations
- Only One Console: The Console Sharing and Offline Play feature can be enabled on only one console at a time for each PSN account. If your friend already has this feature enabled on their own PS5, you won’t be able to access their library on your console until they disable it on their console first.
- Internet Connection: To download games, you’ll need a stable internet connection.
- Account Security: Be cautious when sharing your PSN account details. It’s essential to trust the person you’re sharing with to ensure the safety of your account.
- Game Ownership: Remember that you are not buying the game. You only have access to it through the Console Sharing feature of the owner’s account. If the owner disables this feature, or you remove the owner’s account from your console, you will lose access to the games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions related to downloading someone else’s game on PS5, providing additional valuable information.
1. Can I play a game I downloaded from someone else’s account if they are also playing it?
No, this is not possible. While you can access and download games from an account where Console Sharing is enabled, only one player can play a particular game on one console at a time from the same account’s library. If both you and the account owner attempt to play the same game simultaneously, one of you will get logged out and the game will be closed. Each account can play their own games, but they can not play from the same library simultaneously.
2. Does my friend need to be online for me to play their downloaded games?
No, once the game is downloaded, your friend does not need to be online for you to play it. This is one of the benefits of Console Sharing and Offline Play. However, you do need to connect to the internet to download the games for the first time.
3. What if I don’t see my friend’s games in my library after setting up Console Sharing?
Make sure that Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled on your friend’s account. Double-check the setup and ensure you’ve logged into their account to enable the feature. Also, check you are looking in the Game Library from your own account, and filter it to show “all games”. You will also only see games in their library that are PS5 games, you will not be able to play PS4 games through this feature.
4. Can I share my games with multiple friends at the same time?
No, you can only enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on one PS5 console at a time for each account. So, you can’t share your entire game library with multiple friends simultaneously.
5. Can I download PS4 games from my friend’s account on my PS5?
Yes, if the PS4 game is owned by your friend’s account, you can download and play it on your PS5. However, this function is limited to games that can be played on the PS5 and does not extend to streaming PS4 games.
6. Can my friend see what games I’m playing that I downloaded from their account?
Your friend will not be able to see your gameplay specifically from their side. However, they would be able to see the game in their purchased game list. They can see any trophies earned by all accounts that have played their game on that particular console, and also see your online status from their friends list.
7. How does game sharing affect PlayStation Plus?
If you share your account, only the account owner requires an active PlayStation Plus subscription to play online. Other accounts on the same PS5 with Console Sharing enabled can play online without their own PS Plus subscription for the games they can access.
8. Is it risky to share my account details?
Sharing your PSN account information can be risky. Always ensure that you trust the person you are sharing with, as they could potentially change your account details or purchase items using your account. It’s advisable to change your password after you are done sharing, if you are concerned with any potential security issues.
9. Can I transfer money from my account to my friend’s account for game purchases?
No, there is no direct way to transfer funds between PSN accounts. You cannot share wallet funds directly. If you want to gift a game, buying a PlayStation gift card is the best option.
10. What happens to downloaded games if my friend changes their password?
If your friend changes their password, you may need to log into their account again on your PS5 and re-enable Console Sharing and Offline Play for continued access to their library. In some cases, it may be necessary to re-download certain games after a password change.
11. Can I download games onto external storage through game sharing?
Yes, you can download games from your friend’s library onto your PS5’s internal or connected USB external storage. Remember you can move games to a USB drive, but it cannot be played from there, you must copy the data back to the PS5 to play it.
12. Can I use a friend’s game sharing to get free games on my PS5?
No, this is not free games in the literal sense. While you gain access to games in your friend’s library, you are not purchasing the games directly. You are simply borrowing them through the Console Sharing feature. If your friend deactivates this feature, or removes their account, then you will lose access to the games.
13. What should I do if my downloaded games are locked?
If you see a lock icon on a game, it may mean that the Console Sharing and Offline Play is not enabled correctly, or that you’re logged into the wrong PSN account. Or you may need to check with parental control restrictions on the console. Make sure you are logged into the correct account and that sharing is turned on.
14. Can I access my friend’s cloud saves if I am playing their game?
Yes, you can access any cloud saves that have been uploaded by the original owner of the game to their account. However, you will not be able to use your own cloud saves for any game you do not own.
15. Can I play online with my friend while game sharing?
Yes, if both you and your friend own separate copies of the same game, you can absolutely play online together. However, using the same borrowed copy through Console Sharing for simultaneous online play is not possible, as you can not both log into the same game at the same time.
By understanding the process and nuances of Console Sharing and Offline Play, you can effectively share game libraries with friends and family to enjoy more titles without purchasing each game individually. Just ensure you are communicating and sharing responsibly, whilst being aware of the security and technical requirements of the feature.