Introduction
Seeing a padlock on a game your household already bought is annoying. PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play lets other users on one chosen PS5 play eligible content from the purchasing account. To set it up, sign in with that account, enable the setting, download a game, and check it from a second user.
This guide walks through that check, the limits of offline play, and what to do when you replace the PS5. The setting is free. You’ll need an active PlayStation Plus membership only for the Plus benefits you want to share.
What Is PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play?
Console Sharing and Offline Play designates one PS5 where other users can access eligible purchased and downloaded games. Sony also describes sharing eligible media; that does not establish that every third-party media service or subscription is shareable. Think of it as giving your household access on a particular console; the purchases still belong to the account that bought them.
- One PS5 per account: The same account can enable sharing on only one PS5 at a time.
- Separate users: Other people can play eligible content using their own users on that PS5. Offline access still depends on the game’s own licensing and connection requirements.
- Downloaded content offline: Eligible games and media must be downloaded first. Online-only games still need a connection.
- Some Plus benefits: Other users can use eligible shared benefits, including online multiplayer, downloaded Monthly Plus games, and game/classic catalog games included in the subscriber’s plan. Early access to time-limited trials, online storage, buying discounted products and redeeming games on another account are not shared, as Sony’s linked Plus sharing guide explains.
Sony explains the setting and its one-PS5 limit in its Console Sharing and Offline Play guide. Its PlayStation Plus sharing guide lists which membership benefits can be shared. Both were included in the official research retrieved October 15, 2026.
Prerequisites
Make sure you have:
- The PS5 you want your household to use.
- Access to the PlayStation account that purchased the game or media you want to share.
- An internet connection for sign-in, setup, and downloads.
- Another local user on the PS5 for the access check (or someone ready to add one).
- Enough console storage to download a game. An M.2 SSD for PS5 can help if storage is tight.
- An active PlayStation Plus membership if you want to share an eligible Plus benefit.
These console steps are for PS5; PS4 uses its own primary-console setting. Remote account management is available through Sony’s website.
How to Set Up PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play
Step 1: Identify the purchasing account
On the PS5, switch to the account you believe owns the game. Open Game Library > Your Collection and find a game that account purchased. If several people in the house buy games, check each account’s library and purchase history until you know which one owns the title you want to test.
Expected result: You know which account must enable sharing. Turning it on under a different account won’t share this purchase.
Step 2: Choose the household PS5
Pick the PS5 where other users should play. If you have more than one, choose the one those users actually use. Each purchasing account can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled on one PS5 at a time.
Expected result: You have one console ready for activation. If this is a replacement, follow the transfer steps below before enabling it.
Step 3: Sign in with the purchasing account
On your chosen PS5, select the user icon on the home screen and choose the purchasing account. If it is not on the console yet, select Add User and follow the on-screen prompts to sign in to that PlayStation account. Connect the PS5 to the internet if needed.
Expected result: The purchasing account is the active user and can reach PlayStation Network.
Step 4: Open Console Sharing and Offline Play
From the PS5 home screen, select Settings (the gear icon) > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play.
Expected result: You see the Console Sharing and Offline Play screen and a control showing its current state.
Step 5: Enable sharing
Select Enable if that option appears. If the screen shows Disable, sharing is already enabled for this account on this PS5, so leave it as it is.
Expected result: The screen offers Disable, indicating sharing is enabled here. Sony’s linked Console Sharing guide says the setting is automatically allowed on the first PS5 used to sign in. Check the state shown on your console rather than assuming it is enabled.
Step 6: Download an eligible game
While still using the purchasing account, open Game Library > Your Collection. Select a game the account owns, then select Download. Wait for the download and installation to finish before testing it. A fast internet connection or a wired Ethernet connection can make a large download less painful.
Expected result: The game appears on the PS5 home screen or in Game Library without a pending download. Enabling sharing grants access; it does not install game files by itself.
Step 7: Switch to another local user
Select the user icon on the PS5 home screen, choose Switch User, and pick another user on this console. If there isn’t one, choose Add User and follow the on-screen prompts. Use that person’s own user for the test.
Expected result: The second user can see the installed game. The purchasing account does not need to remain the active user.
Step 8: Launch the game as the second user
Select the downloaded game tile and choose Play Game. Let it reach its title screen or playable menu.
Expected result: The game opens under the second user without a padlock. That confirms shared access for this game on this PS5. A game’s own account requirements or age restrictions may still apply.
Step 9: Check offline play with an offline-capable game
For a game that supports offline play, first close it. Then go to Settings > Network > Settings and turn Connect to the Internet off. Return to the second user and launch the downloaded game again. Once you’ve checked it, turn Connect to the Internet back on.
Expected result: The second user can start the eligible game offline if its licensing and connection requirements permit. A game that requires online servers will still need a connection, even with sharing enabled. Download games and media before you need them offline.
Move Sharing to a Replacement PS5
Step 10: Disable sharing on the old PS5 if you still have it
Sign in to the purchasing account on the old PS5. Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play, then select Disable.
Expected result: That account no longer has sharing enabled on the old PS5. Other users there may lose access to its shared content.
Step 11: Use remote deactivation if the old PS5 is unavailable
If you cannot access the old console, follow Sony’s current console-deactivation instructions and sign in to Account Management. Go to Device Management > PlayStation Consoles and select Deactivate All Devices. Follow the confirmation prompts. This affects all PlayStation consoles activated on that account, including the missing PS5. Sony limits remote deactivation to once every six months, so use the local Disable control when you can.
Expected result: All console activations for that account are cleared, not just the missing PS5. Sony does not offer remote deactivation of one individual console. Deactivation does not delete console data; re-enable sharing on the replacement in the next step.
Step 12: Enable sharing on the replacement
Sign in to the purchasing account on the replacement PS5. Select Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play > Enable. Download an eligible game, then repeat the second-user launch check.
Expected result: If activation succeeds and the title is eligible and installed, another local user can start that game on the replacement PS5.
Configuration: What the Setting Does and Doesn’t Control
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Console Sharing and Offline Play | Controls shared access to eligible content on the one enabled PS5. Find it under Settings > Users and Accounts > Other. |
| Game download | Puts the game files on the console. Downloading alone does not grant another user access. |
| PlayStation Plus | Some benefits can be used by other users on the enabled PS5, subject to the subscriber’s plan, game availability, and parental controls. Check the Plus sharing rules if a benefit is unclear. |
| Plus online storage | Cloud saves belong to the subscribing account. Console Sharing does not give another user the subscriber’s cloud storage. |
| Share Play | A separate feature for playing together or letting someone join a session. It does not designate a PS5 for shared purchases. |
A PlayStation Plus membership is useful for online multiplayer and its game catalog, but check the plan and each game’s availability before treating a Plus title like a permanent purchase. Sony’s PlayStation Plus support page has the membership details.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Another user sees a padlock
- Check ownership: Switch to the account that purchased or claimed the game. Make sure you have the right account.
- Check activation: Under that account, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. If you see Enable, select it.
- Check the download: Make sure the game is fully installed on this PS5.
- Restore licenses: While connected to PlayStation Network, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses. Select the licenses you want to restore, then try the game again. Sony’s license-restoration instructions confirm this path.
- Retry the setting: If the account, download, and licenses check out, disable and re-enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on this PS5.
A Plus game or benefit is missing
- Check that the purchasing account’s PlayStation Plus membership is active.
- Check that its plan includes the game or benefit and that the game is still available through that plan.
- Download the eligible game on the enabled PS5 and test it from the second user again.
Other users can use certain benefits on the enabled PS5, but they cannot redeem Plus games into their own accounts or use the subscriber’s online storage.
A downloaded game won’t start offline
- Reconnect to the internet and confirm sharing is enabled on this PS5.
- Make sure the game finished downloading, including any required updates.
- Check whether the game itself requires an internet connection.
A downloaded game can still be online-only. Console Sharing cannot replace the game’s servers.
Access fails during a PlayStation Network disruption
Check PlayStation Network service status before changing any settings. A service problem can interrupt sign-in or license checks and look like an activation issue. Once service returns, check the purchasing account, activation, and game license again.
Wrapping Up
Once the right account has enabled sharing and downloaded the game, the second-user launch check verifies access for that installed game on that console; test offline behavior and other entitlements separately. I’d do that check before relying on offline play or retiring an old PS5; it’s much easier to fix a padlock while everything is still connected.
| Step | Action | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify the owner, enable sharing, and download a game | Chosen PS5 |
| 2 | Launch the game from another local user | Household check |
| 3 | Disable on the old PS5, then enable on the replacement | Console move |
| 4 | Use remote deactivation if the old PS5 is unavailable | Console move |