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On your PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play, then choose Enable. PlayStation automatically enables the feature on the first PS5 where you sign in. If another PS5 currently has it enabled, disable it there before enabling the new console.
Once enabled, anyone using that PS5 can play games and use media that the account owner purchased and downloaded, even when the console is offline. Other users may receive some PlayStation Plus benefits, but PlayStation does not say that every membership benefit is shared.
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What Console Sharing and Offline Play changes
Console Sharing and Offline Play assigns one PS5 to a PlayStation account for shared access. On that enabled console, other user profiles can use games and media purchased and downloaded by the account owner without signing in as that owner each time. The content can also be used while the PS5 has no internet connection.
The setting applies to one PS5 at a time. It is separate from other console-activation limits, so enabling or disabling Console Sharing and Offline Play does not change those limits.
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| Situation | What the setting provides |
|---|---|
| The account owner has purchased and downloaded a game or media | Other users on the enabled PS5 can use that content. |
| The enabled PS5 is offline | Shared purchased and downloaded content remains usable offline. |
| Another user needs PlayStation Plus features | Some benefits can be shared; not every membership benefit is included. |
| A second PS5 should become the shared console | Disable the feature on the current PS5, then enable it on the other one. |
| The account has other console activations | Those limits are not changed by this setting. |
The feature does not move purchases between accounts. It makes the designated PS5 the console where other local users can access the account owner’s eligible purchases and downloads.
Prepare before you enable it
A short check beforehand prevents most activation and missing-content problems.
- Use the purchasing account. Sign in with the PlayStation account that bought the game or media you want to share. Content bought by a different account will not become available merely because this switch is enabled.
- Decide which PS5 should be designated. Only one PS5 can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled for the account at a time. If you are moving from an old console, plan to disable the old one first.
- Download content while online. The sharing rule covers games and media the account owner purchased and downloaded. Do not wait until the console is offline to download the item you want to use.
- Check any subscription-dependent content. If access comes through PlayStation Plus, the relevant subscription must be active when you troubleshoot missing content.
- Keep the old PS5 available if possible. A direct change is simplest when you can open the setting on the old console. If that console is unavailable, the account-management remote option is subject to a six-month limit.
You do not need a special controller, router upgrade, or storage accessory to turn on this setting. The required action is the account and console setting described below.
Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on the PS5
- Sign in to the PlayStation account that owns the purchases you want to share.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Choose Other.
- Open Console Sharing and Offline Play. This is PlayStation’s official menu path.
- Select Enable.
- Leave the account signed in long enough for the console to complete the change, then open the same menu again if you want to check the current state.
On the first PS5 used to sign in with the account, PlayStation says Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled automatically. You only need to use the menu when you are checking the state, changing consoles, or correcting an activation choice.
If the menu offers only the option to disable, that PS5 is already the account’s enabled console. If you expected a different PS5 to be enabled, follow the transfer steps below rather than repeatedly selecting the menu.
Move the setting to another PS5
When you can use the old PS5
- On the currently enabled PS5, sign in with the account that owns the purchases.
- Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Select Disable.
- On the new PS5, sign in with the same account.
- Open the same menu and select Enable.
The order matters: PlayStation allows the feature on one PS5 at a time, so enabling the second console requires the first console to be disabled.
When the old PS5 is inaccessible
PlayStation provides an Account Management option to remotely deactivate all devices. This is useful when the original console is lost, broken, sold, or otherwise unavailable. The remote action applies to all devices on the account rather than letting you pick one individual PS5, so use it only when that broad deactivation is acceptable.
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PlayStation limits remote deactivation of all devices to once every six months. Because of that interval, try the direct disable-and-enable process first whenever you still have access to the old console. After a remote deactivation, sign in on the PS5 you want to designate and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play from the menu.
For the official instructions and account-management guidance, see PlayStation Support’s “How to turn on PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play”.
How offline access works in practice
Offline use depends on two parts being in place: the account owner must have purchased and downloaded the game or media, and the PS5 must be the console with sharing enabled. Once those conditions are met, another user on that PS5 can use the content without the console being connected to the internet.
- While the account owner is online, purchase the game or media with the correct account.
- Download the content completely to the PS5.
- Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on that PS5.
- Switch to the other user’s profile.
- Disconnect the PS5 from the internet, if necessary for your situation, and start the downloaded content.
This setting is especially useful for a household that uses several profiles on one PS5 or for a console that will not always have a network connection. It does not create a second purchase, copy a license to another account, or designate two PS5 consoles simultaneously.
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Sharing does not replace the download step. If a user expects to start a title that the account owner purchased but never downloaded to the enabled PS5, download it while signed in with the purchasing account before relying on offline access.
If access comes from PlayStation Plus
PlayStation states that other users can receive some PlayStation Plus benefits on the enabled PS5. The support guidance does not promise every benefit, so treat each membership feature separately. A benefit that requires an active subscription still depends on the relevant PlayStation Plus subscription being active.
Check the setting and identify which account matters
When a family member cannot see a game, first identify the account that purchased it. The account used to enable the console must be the account that owns the purchase or the subscription entitlement being checked. Enabling the console with another profile will not make the first account’s library appear.
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To inspect the setting, sign in with the account that should provide the shared access and return to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. The menu shows the console’s current state and provides the available action. If it offers Disable, the feature is enabled on that PS5; if it offers Enable, that console is not currently designated.
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If you recently moved the feature, check the old PS5 as well. A different console still holding the designation is the most direct explanation for an enable attempt that will not complete.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot activation and missing content
The console will not enable sharing
Work through these checks in order:
- Check the PlayStation service-status page to rule out an account or network service interruption.
- Confirm that the PS5 is running current system software.
- Restart the PS5.
- Restart your router: switch it off and leave it off for at least five minutes before turning it back on.
- After the network is available again, return to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and try the change once more.
These steps address the service, software, console, and local-network conditions PlayStation identifies for an activation problem. If another PS5 is still enabled, you must disable that console or use the account-management remote deactivation option when the old console cannot be reached.
A purchased game or media item is missing
- Verify that the account used for Console Sharing and Offline Play actually purchased the item.
- Confirm that the item was downloaded to this PS5. The offline-sharing rule applies to purchased and downloaded content.
- If the item is supplied through PlayStation Plus, check that the relevant subscription is active.
- Restart the PS5 after correcting the account, download, or subscription condition.
Do not begin by changing unrelated hardware. The documented checks concern ownership, download status, subscription status, service availability, software, and the network connection used for activation.
The other user can see the console but cannot use one benefit
Console Sharing and Offline Play does not guarantee that every PlayStation Plus feature is shared. If one membership benefit is unavailable while purchased games work, that difference may reflect the benefit’s sharing scope rather than a failed console activation. Check the specific entitlement with the purchasing account and an active subscription.
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PlayStation’s all-device remote deactivation is limited to once every six months. If that option has already been used during the current six-month period, do not assume repeated attempts will reset the limit. The practical path is to regain access to the existing console if possible or wait until the remote-deactivation restriction no longer applies, then designate the intended PS5.
Common situations and the correct choice
| Situation | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Several people use one household PS5 | Enable sharing on that PS5 with the account that owns the purchases. | Other users on the enabled console can use eligible purchased and downloaded content. |
| You bought a second PS5 and want it to be the shared console | Disable the old PS5, then enable the new one. | Only one PS5 can be enabled at a time. |
| You sold or discarded the old PS5 | Use Account Management to remotely deactivate all devices, then enable the replacement PS5. | The remote option works when the old console is inaccessible, but it is limited to once every six months. |
| A game was purchased but is not installed | Sign in with the purchasing account and download it before going offline. | The setting covers content purchased and downloaded by that account. |
| A PlayStation Plus feature is unavailable to another profile | Check the specific benefit and confirm the relevant subscription is active. | Only some PlayStation Plus benefits are shared. |
| The setting fails during a service outage | Wait for service recovery, then retry after checking software, restarting the console, and restarting the router. | Activation depends on the account and service connection being able to complete the change. |
Limits you should remember
- One enabled PS5: Console Sharing and Offline Play can be enabled on one PS5 at a time for the account.
- Separate activation rules: This feature does not alter the account’s other console-activation limits.
- Remote action is broad: Account Management remotely deactivates all devices, not just a selected PS5.
- Six-month restriction: PlayStation permits remote deactivation of all devices only once every six months.
- Shared benefits are limited: Other users may receive some PlayStation Plus benefits, but no blanket promise covers the entire membership.
- Offline access has prerequisites: The account owner must have purchased and downloaded the content on the enabled PS5.
For the exact menu wording and PlayStation’s current account rules, use the official support article linked above. Interface details can change with system-software updates, but the path remains Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play in the documented instructions.
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