How to Share Family on PS4: A Comprehensive Guide
Sharing the PlayStation 4 experience with family members is a great way to bond, compete, and enjoy the world of gaming together. The PS4 offers several features designed to facilitate family sharing, from managing child accounts to sharing games and PlayStation Plus benefits. This article will guide you through the process, offering a detailed look at how to effectively share your PS4 with your family.
Understanding Family Management on PS4
The foundation for sharing a PS4 experience with your family lies in the Family Management system. This system allows a designated family manager (usually a parent or guardian) to control various aspects of other family members’ accounts, ensuring a safe and appropriate gaming environment.
Setting Up Family Members
- Sign in as the family manager on your PS4.
- Navigate to Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management.
- Select Add Family Member.
- You will have two options: Invite an existing account or create a new local user account.
- If your family member already has a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, you can send an invite.
- If they don’t, you can create a new account for them on the PS4.
- If you create a new account, you will be prompted to enter their date of birth, which will determine whether it’s an adult or a child account.
- Child accounts are automatically linked to the family manager’s account, giving you control over various settings.
Customizing Child Account Permissions
For child accounts, you can tailor permissions to control what they can access and do on the PS4. This includes:
- Age restrictions: Set age restrictions for games, movies, and other content.
- Spending limits: Control how much they can spend on the PlayStation Store.
- Communication settings: Determine who they can communicate with online.
- Playtime restrictions: Set limits for how long they can play each day.
- Access to User Generated Content: Control whether they can view or contribute content such as screenshots and videos.
These features allow you to create a safe and appropriate gaming experience for your children.
Sharing Games on PS4
One of the biggest benefits of family management is the ability to share games. You can share digital games with other users on your primary PS4 console.
Primary Console Activation
- Sign in to your account that purchased the games on your PS4.
- Navigate to Settings > Account Management.
- Select Activate as Your Primary PS4.
- Confirm the choice.
By activating the PS4 as your primary console, all other users on that console can play the games you purchased, even if they are using a different account.
Sharing Digital Games
Once your account is set as primary on a console, all the other accounts that are on that same PS4 can play the games associated with your account. This includes both games purchased from the PlayStation Store and those redeemed through a subscription like PlayStation Plus. This makes it easier for family members to enjoy a shared digital game library without having to purchase the same games multiple times.
Sharing PlayStation Plus Benefits
A PlayStation Plus subscription offers a range of benefits, including online multiplayer access, free monthly games, and exclusive discounts. These benefits can also be shared with family members on your primary PS4.
PlayStation Plus and Family Sharing
If your account is a PlayStation Plus member and is set as primary on a PS4, all the other accounts on that console will receive the benefits of that subscription. This includes the ability to play online multiplayer games and have access to any games that have been redeemed through the PlayStation Plus subscription.
Limitations of Shared Cloud Saves
It is important to note that while online benefits transfer, cloud saving does not. Each user on the PS4 must utilize their own individual account to have their cloud saving remain linked to their individual account.
Playing Together Online
Sharing a PS4 isn’t just about sharing games; it’s about playing together. With proper setup, your family can easily participate in online multiplayer games, even those purchased on the primary account. Each family member will need to play using their individual accounts, and if the primary account has PlayStation Plus, the secondary accounts on that console will also be able to play online with that benefit transferring over.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can family members play games on PS4?
Yes, family members can play games on the same PS4. By setting the account that purchased the games as the primary account on the console, other users can access and play those games.
2. Does each family member need a PlayStation account?
Yes, each user who wants to play on the PS4 should have their own PSN account. This allows for individual game saves, trophies, and user settings. For children, you’ll need to create child accounts linked to your family manager account.
3. Do I need a PlayStation Plus for each family member?
No, a PlayStation Plus subscription on the primary account will extend its benefits to all other accounts on the same primary console.
4. Can two people share the same PS4 account?
No, two people cannot be signed into the same PSN account at the same time on different consoles. Once you sign into your account on a second console you will be logged out of the first.
5. How do I link two accounts on PS4?
Adult accounts can link to third-party services through Settings > Account Management > Linked Services. However, you cannot directly link two PSN accounts together.
6. How many PS4 consoles can be activated on one account?
You can only have one PS4 activated as your primary console at any given time.
7. Does deleting a user on PS4 delete the account?
No, deleting a user from the PS4 only removes the account from that console. The account itself remains active on the PSN network. If you wish for an account to be entirely deleted you will have to take a separate process with Sony’s support service.
8. How do you share accounts on PS4?
You share games, PS Plus benefits, and DLC when the account associated with those items is the primary account on that PS4.
9. Can a PlayStation have 2 primary accounts?
No, a PS4 can only have one primary account. However, multiple accounts can use a single PS4 as their primary console. One account can only have one primary PS4, but a PS4 can be a primary console for multiple accounts.
10. How do I change family manager on PS4?
You can’t directly change the family manager. You can create a new family manager and have the current one remove other members from that family to transfer them into the new family. Otherwise, you will have to delete the existing family and start over with a different family manager account.
11. Can two people have the same primary console?
No, two people cannot use the same PS4 as their primary console at the same time. Each account can only have one primary PS4. However, if you move your primary console to another PS4, you will remove it from the previous one.
12. How many accounts can you have on PS4?
Up to four users can be logged in to your PS4 simultaneously. However, you can have more than four accounts saved on the console itself.
13. How many consoles can have the same primary account?
One account can only have one primary console at a given time. If you set another console as primary, the old console will lose the primary status for that account.
14. Can I share Play with someone that isn’t my family?
Yes. To start Share Play, you need to be a PlayStation Plus member. Press the PS button to go to the control center, and select the party voice chat card. Select Start Share Play. Invite a player, and then select the play mode.
15. Can PlayStation Plus be shared with family?
Yes, PlayStation Plus benefits can be shared with other family members if you have a subscription and your account is set as primary on the console they are using. This includes online multiplayer access, access to games redeemed through the subscription, and exclusive discounts.
By understanding the Family Management system, primary console activation, and how PlayStation Plus benefits are shared, you can effectively create an enjoyable gaming experience for your whole family on the PS4. Remember to tailor settings for child accounts to ensure a safe and appropriate environment.