We don't need to tell you that all this coronavirus stuff sucks. Of course it does. Businesses are forced to adapt or close, travel has all but ceased, and most people are confined to their own homes as the world copes with the pandemic. It's all happened rather quickly, and there's no clear answer as to when (or if) things will return to normal. Worst of all, everyone's bored stiff.
Many are turning to video games for entertainment while national lockdowns are in place, and they're of course a great way to pass the time. We know full well that PlayStation 4 offers a huge variety of games catering to all tastes. Even if you're feeling the pinch, Sony has provided two titles free of charge to keep players going. The trouble is, local multiplayer games are pretty much a write-off, as is the shared experience of enjoying a single player outing with others. Except, actually, they're not.
Share Play is a thing that exists. If you've forgotten, or didn't know in the first place, Share Play is a feature that's been on PS4 for many years that allows you to play games with buddies online on a "virtual sofa", as Sony puts it. In other words, a friend can hop online to watch your gameplay live, take over control in single player titles, or join you in local multiplayer -- even if they don't own the game themselves. Through the use of this feature, you can effectively enjoy couch co-op or other local gameplay. You might be physically separated from your gaming pals, but with this nifty tech, there's nothing stopping you playing together.
Share Play sessions are limited to 60 minutes, but you can partake in as many as you like, and it's easy enough to set up. While you're playing a game, just hit the Share button to access the Share menu, and find the option for Share Play. Once it starts up and your invited friend is in, you'll both see the host's screen. From there, you're able to hand over control or have your chum join in for some multiplayer shenanigans. The only real restriction is that you both need PS Plus to get the most out of the service. For a more detailed breakdown on how to use Share Play on PS4, follow the link to our guide.
Some of you may well be using Share Play already, but we dare say most aren't. It's not going to solve the world's problems, but hopefully by drawing some attention to it, the feature can alleviate some boredom and reunite you with your buddies.
Have you been using PS4's Share Play feature during all this? Will you be giving it a try, and which games will you be playing? Tell us in the comments below.
Comments 13
I'm gonna message CD Projekt Red and ask them to share play Cyberpunk 2077 with me.
The 60 minute restriction doesn't make it too appealing, although it's a nice option. I've been playing local co-op games with friends on Steam through the Remote Play Together feature, which has no time limit. This should be a feature on all consoles and pc platforms.
wouldn't i need "friends" for that?
Never used this feature but think it's awesome they have it.
@dok5555555 what 60 min restriction
Never really used it. But PS4 has been the way I have kept connected during the lock down regardless.
Division2, Madden, F12019, Borderlands 3, Monster Hunter... my Playstation Plus subscription is gold right now.
I’m literally into 65 hours of watching one of my best friends play Persona 5 Royal via share play 😂 it’s so fun watching him experience one of my favorite games for the first time
@ztpayne7 Now this is a cool idea.
@ShogunRok it would be nice if we didn’t have to deal with the 1 hr restriction for a 100+ hour game 😂 but I get why they do it. We’ve used share play a bunch in the past for various reasons. We even co-op played salt and sanctuary which is traditionally only a local co-op game.
@potter32 from the article: "Share Play sessions are limited to 60 minutes, but you can partake in as many as you like, and it's easy enough to set up. "
I've never understood why this feature isn't being pushed more by Sony. The fact that someone can play a game that they do not own, for free-ish (PS Plus). That sells the feature for me. Playing Borderlands with my brother who lives far away from me, as if he was sat next to me, I've made the most of this amazing feature. I hope they integrate it into the PS5, too.
Shareplay is amazing! Lets you play local only coop games with a friend like its nothing! But why stop there! It's a blast taking turns playing through a single player campaign with a good friend. I can't watch streamers but its different when you're taking turns through a story with your buddy. Hell even just chilling while watching is 10x better than streaming thanks to no crappy time delay. Games like darkest dungeon are a blast to take turns through. There's just something special about being able to hand off the controller in games like you're just hanging out back in high school. But anyways some games really benefit from the turn couch coop in online coop aspect, enter the gungeon, salt and sanctuary, shovel knight, towerfall ascension, overcooked, death road to Canada, cooping together through a madden franchise, there's more I'm forgetting. Everyone should really give it a try! It's great on it's own but if you think outside the box a little you can have a really amazing fun experience
Haven't used it, but have been playing co-op Breakpoint most evenings with friends.
Haven't found myself bored at all through this. Truth is, most of us have never been in a better position to avoid boredom while at home, whether it be gaming locally, gaming online, or watching movies either via stream or on disc. Put your feet up and enjoy it while you can.
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