To share PlayStation Plus Extra games in the same household, sign in on the family PS5 with the account that pays for PlayStation Plus Extra, then open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and choose Enable. Other profiles on that PS5 can then download eligible Game Catalog titles and play downloaded games owned by the subscribing account, including when that PS5 is offline.
This is a console-level feature, not a way to give a separate PS5 access to your membership. Sony allows Console Sharing and Offline Play on one PS5 for the account, while child profiles remain subject to age ratings and parental controls.
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What PS Plus Extra sharing on PS5 actually does
PlayStation Plus Extra access follows the subscribing PlayStation Network account, but Sony lets that account designate one PS5 for Console Sharing and Offline Play. Once enabled, people who use that console can use the subscribing account’s downloaded purchases and eligible PlayStation Plus benefits from their own local profiles.
Sony’s support wording is broad: “When you enable Console Sharing and Offline Play, anyone who uses your PS5 console can: Play your games and media even when the console is offline.” In practice, the important distinction is between the console and the account. You enable the feature on the household PS5; family members do not sign in as the subscriber to launch every game.
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At a glance
| Arrangement | What family members can do | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Several profiles on the enabled household PS5 | Play downloaded games owned by the subscribing account and eligible downloaded Game Catalog titles | The games must still be owned or available in the subscriber’s active membership plan |
| The enabled PS5 without an internet connection | Play qualifying games that have already been downloaded | Console Sharing and Offline Play must remain enabled on that PS5 |
| A separate family member’s PS5 | No shared access through this arrangement | Sony limits sharing to one PS5 for the account, plus the account’s primary PS4 under the cross-generation rule |
| A child profile on the enabled PS5 | Only titles and online features allowed by age ratings and parental controls | A correctly shared game can still appear unavailable to a child account |
Game Catalog access is not a permanent transfer of ownership. A title must remain listed in the catalog and included in the plan held by the subscribing account. If the membership ends, the plan changes, or Sony removes the title, access can stop even though the game remains installed.
What you need before setting it up
Prepare these items before changing the setting:
- A PS5 connected to the family’s PlayStation Network accounts.
- The PlayStation Network sign-in that holds the active PlayStation Plus Extra membership.
- The subscribing account’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting available for this PS5. An account can have the setting enabled on only one PS5 at a time.
- Sufficient storage for the games the family intends to download.
- Family profiles configured with the correct age and parental-control settings.
Keep the distinction between a purchased game and a catalog game in mind. A purchased digital game remains tied to the purchasing account’s license. An Extra Game Catalog title is available only while Sony lists it for the subscriber’s plan and the subscription remains active.
How to enable sharing on the family PS5
Use the account that pays for PlayStation Plus Extra for this setup. The menu is on the PS5 itself, not in the PlayStation mobile app.
- Sign in to the household PS5 with the subscribing account. If the account is not already on the console, add it through the PS5 user sign-in flow and complete the PlayStation Network login.
- Open Settings. Select the gear icon from the top-right of the PS5 home screen.
- Choose Users and Accounts. This section contains account and console-sharing controls.
- Open Other. Select the submenu labeled Other.
- Select Console Sharing and Offline Play. The console shows whether the feature is currently enabled for this PS5.
- Choose Enable. Confirm the change if the PS5 asks for confirmation.
- If activation is refused, disable the setting on the other PS5 first. The account cannot keep Console Sharing and Offline Play active on two PS5 consoles. If the old console is unavailable, Sony provides remote device deactivation, but its all-device option can be used only once every six months.
After activation, switch back to the family member’s own profile. Do not leave the subscriber account as the everyday profile unless there is a specific reason to do so; the purpose of Console Sharing is to let other users play from their own accounts on the enabled PS5.
How a family member downloads an Extra Game Catalog title
The subscriber must have the correct membership plan, and the game must still be in the catalog when it is downloaded and launched.
- On the family member’s profile, open PlayStation Plus from the Games home screen.
- Choose Benefits.
- Select Game Catalog.
- Open the page for an eligible title.
- Choose Download and select the desired storage location if the PS5 offers a choice.
- Wait for the installation to finish, then launch the game from the family member’s profile.
If the title does not appear for the family member, check it from the subscribing account first. The account must have an active Extra membership, and the game must be part of that plan rather than a title reserved for a higher tier. Sony states: “To download from the PlayStation Plus game catalog, you need to have the correct membership plan.”
What other profiles can use
Downloaded purchases
Other profiles on the enabled PS5 can play digital games purchased by the subscribing account after those games have been downloaded to the console. The purchase license remains with the account that bought the game; Console Sharing makes the game usable by other local profiles on the designated PS5.
Extra Game Catalog downloads
Eligible Extra catalog games can be downloaded and played by other profiles on that PS5 while all three conditions remain true: the subscriber’s membership is active, the title is included in that membership plan, and Sony still lists the title in the catalog.
Selected PlayStation Plus benefits
Some Plus benefits, including online multiplayer for games that require Plus, can be available to other profiles on the enabled PS5. A child profile’s age and family-safety settings can still restrict online play even when the console-sharing setup is correct.
Offline play after download
Downloaded qualifying games can be launched while the enabled PS5 is offline. Download the games while the console has an internet connection; offline sharing does not make an undownloaded catalog title available.
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What does not carry over to family profiles
Console Sharing and Offline Play is deliberately narrower than handing another person the subscription account. Sony lists these exclusions:
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| Benefit or action | Available to another profile on the enabled PS5? | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Buying products with a PlayStation Plus discount | No | The discount is tied to the subscribing account making the purchase. |
| Redeeming monthly or other Plus games on another account | No | Redemption adds the license to the account that claims it; sharing does not transfer that claim. |
| Online storage | No | Cloud storage remains an account-specific Plus benefit. |
| Automatic patch downloads | No | Sharing does not grant another profile the subscriber’s automatic-download entitlement. |
| Early access to time-limited game trials | No | Trial access is not one of the benefits Sony makes shareable through this console setting. |
| Access on a friend’s separate PS5 | No | The setting applies to the one PS5 designated by the subscribing account. |
These exclusions are why a family member may be able to launch a downloaded game but still be unable to claim a Plus offer, use the subscriber’s online storage, or purchase an item at the subscriber’s discounted price.
Same-console household sharing versus another PS5
The supported arrangement is a household PS5 with multiple local profiles. Sony describes the limit this way: “You can only share your games and PlayStation Plus benefits with accounts on one PS5 console with Console Sharing and Offline Play activated and your primary PS4 console.” The PS4 reference is part of Sony’s cross-generation rule; it does not create a second shareable PS5.
For example, if the subscriber enables sharing on the living-room PS5, a partner’s or child’s profile on that PS5 can use the qualifying downloads. Signing in to the same subscriber account on a sibling’s PS5 does not extend those benefits to the sibling’s separate console. Enabling the feature on the sibling’s console would move the designation rather than add another one.
Do not treat the arrangement as a simultaneous multi-console license. The account’s designated PS5 is the console on which local profiles receive the shared access. A second PS5 needs its own purchasing or membership entitlement for the people using it.
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Extra is a rotating catalog, not a permanent collection. Before recommending a download to a family member, verify all of the following on the subscriber’s account:
- The PlayStation Plus subscription is active and currently includes Extra.
- The game is shown in the Game Catalog at the time of download.
- The title is included in Extra rather than requiring a different membership plan.
- The game’s listing has not reached a stated removal date or otherwise left the catalog.
- The PS5 has completed the download and installation.
An installed catalog game can still become unavailable when Sony removes it or when the membership no longer qualifies. Installation is therefore not equivalent to purchasing the game. If the family wants uninterrupted access to a title, the account that intends to keep it must buy it separately; Console Sharing does not convert a catalog entitlement into a permanent license.
Child accounts and family safety controls
A child family member does not receive unrestricted access simply because the console is activated for sharing. The child’s date of birth, the game’s age rating, and the parent’s parental-control settings continue to govern what appears and what can be launched.
When a child cannot see a shared game
First check whether the title exceeds the child account’s permitted age rating. Also check communication, user-generated-content, and online-play restrictions. A game can be correctly downloaded to the PS5 and still be hidden or blocked for the child profile.
When online multiplayer is unavailable
Online multiplayer may require PlayStation Plus, but the child profile’s age and parental controls can impose an additional restriction. Review the family-management settings rather than disabling Console Sharing; changing the sharing switch will not override a child-safety limit.
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Safer setup practice
Have the parent complete activation while signed in to the subscriber account, then let each child use a separate profile. This keeps saves, play history, and permissions separated and avoids making the child use the adult account.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting a padlock or launch failure
A padlock icon usually means the console cannot validate the license or membership requirement for the profile trying to launch the game. Work through these checks in order.
- Confirm the game belongs to the subscriber or is an eligible catalog title. On the subscribing account, check the game’s library or its Game Catalog listing. A title bought by a different account may not be covered.
- Check Console Sharing and Offline Play. Sign in with the subscriber, follow Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play, and verify that the status is enabled on this PS5.
- Verify membership status. Confirm that the PlayStation Plus subscription has not expired, been canceled, or changed to a plan that excludes the game.
- Check catalog status. If the game came from Extra, make sure Sony still lists it and that it has not moved outside the subscriber’s plan.
- Reconnect the PS5. Restore an internet connection and allow the console to validate the account and license. This is especially important if the title has not previously been launched after a membership or console-setting change.
- Check PlayStation Network service status. A service outage can prevent license or membership verification even when the local settings are correct.
- Install the latest PS5 system software. Outdated system software can interfere with account and licensing functions.
- Restart the console and retry. Close the game, restart the PS5, and launch it again from the profile that should receive the shared access.
If activation is blocked because another PS5 is enabled
Return to the PS5 where the account previously used Console Sharing and Offline Play and choose Disable in the same menu. If you no longer have that console, use Sony’s device-management option to deactivate devices remotely. Sony limits the all-device remote deactivation action to once every six months, so use it only when the old console cannot be accessed.
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When adult profiles can launch the game but a child profile sees a restriction, the sharing setup is probably working. Compare the game’s age rating with the child’s permitted rating and review parental controls for game access and online communication.
Practical setup patterns for a family
One PS5 in a household
This is the straightforward case: activate sharing with the subscriber, download games to the console, and let each family member launch them from a separate profile. The subscriber’s account remains the license holder, while local profiles keep their own saves and settings.
A household PS5 plus a second PS5 elsewhere
Choose which PS5 should receive the shared benefits. Activating the second console moves the designation and removes the same local sharing arrangement from the first; it does not create two shared PS5s. The people using the other console need their own qualifying licenses or membership access.
A catalog game the family wants to keep
Use the Game Catalog while it remains available, but buy the game on the account that needs permanent ownership if uninterrupted access matters. A catalog download alone is not a permanent purchase.
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Keep the child on a managed profile and adjust permissions only through the parent’s family settings where appropriate. Do not solve an age-rating restriction by handing over the adult subscriber account.
Questions to check before you change consoles
- Which PS5 is the family’s main shared console?
- Is the subscriber’s PlayStation Plus plan definitely Extra, rather than a lower tier?
- Are the intended games still in the catalog?
- Will the family need to play while offline?
- Do any child profiles have age or communication restrictions that affect the games?
- Can the subscriber still access the old PS5 if the sharing setting must be moved?
Answering these questions prevents the most common surprises: a game disappearing after catalog removal, a child profile being blocked by its rating, or a second PS5 failing to receive the expected benefits.
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