To let friends watch your PS5 gameplay live, start or join a party, open its voice chat card, select the Share Screen icon, then choose Start Share Screen. Friends can join from a console notification, the Control Center, or the PlayStation App. Share Screen broadcasts the game screen and its audio; if you want a friend to take control or play alongside you, use Share Play instead.
Start Share Screen from a PS5 party
Share Screen lets other players in a party watch your gameplay in real time. The usual starting point is the party voice chat card, and you can begin whether you have just created a party or joined one. Think of the party as the route that connects the host and the intended viewers: first get into a party with the friends who should watch, then start sharing from its voice chat controls.
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- Join an existing party or start one with the friends you want to invite. If you are creating a party, include the intended viewers or use a party they can join.
- Open the party voice chat card and select the Share Screen icon.
- Select Start Share Screen. PlayStation says the host and party members receive a notification when sharing begins. PlayStation’s PS5 Share Screen instructions show these steps.
Use a party that includes the intended viewers if you want them to watch through the party. If the party is joinable, its ON AIR icon indicates that someone is sharing; a friend can join that party to watch. The icon is a cue that sharing is underway, not a different sharing mode: the host still starts Share Screen, and the viewer still joins the party or follows the notification.
Once it starts, Share Screen is a live view of the game screen and its audio. It is not a video recording or a handoff of the controls. The host continues playing, while the other party members watch. If a friend wants to participate by controlling the game or playing with you instead of only watching, see the Share Play comparison below.
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Other ways to start sharing
- From the Create menu: Press the Create button and select Share Screen. If you are already in party voice chat, choose Start Share Screen. If you are not, create or configure a party and then start sharing.
- From a friend’s profile: Open the friend’s profile, select the Share Screen icon, and start sharing to invite that friend.
These are alternative entry points to the same viewing feature. You do not need to start from the party card if one of the other routes suits what you are doing. The party voice chat card is the clearest route when you are already talking to a group; the Create menu is another way to begin from the console; and the profile route is specifically useful when you want to invite a particular friend.
Whichever route you use, make sure the friend knows where to look once sharing begins. PlayStation says a notification is sent to the host and party members. A viewer can open that notification, use the Control Center card, or—in a joinable party—enter the party marked ON AIR.
How friends join and watch on PS5
When a party member starts sharing, the other members receive a notification. On the viewing PS5, press the PS button, open Notifications, and select the Share Screen notification. A Share Screen card also appears in the Control Center. If the party is joinable, the viewer can instead use its ON AIR indicator to identify a party where sharing is underway and join it.
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A friend can also ask to see your screen rather than wait for an invitation: open the party voice chat card, select the player, and choose Request Share Screen. The request is a way to ask the host to share; it is not the same as Share Play’s controls for playing together. If someone requests your screen, the request should be understood as a request to watch your gameplay, not permission to take control.
If your friend does not immediately see the game, check the type of content you are showing. Share Screen shares the game screen and audio, but not other screens or non-game apps. Also, some scenes in some games may be unavailable for sharing. In that case, the unavailable scene is a content limitation; it does not mean that the feature shares menus or other apps instead.
Watch or request a screen in the PlayStation App
The PlayStation App also supports requesting and watching a friend’s PS5 Share Screen. In the app, open Friends, select the friend’s online ID, then choose Request Share Screen. If the friend invites you, you can watch in the voice chat room. Viewing can start automatically in that room or from the invitation notification while the app is in the background. The app includes settings for video resolution and autoplay. See PlayStation App support for the official app instructions.
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The app route is useful when you are away from your console, but the available instructions do not specify particular resolution choices or device requirements. Check the app’s own settings for the options available to you. The key point is that the viewer starts from Friends and the host’s online ID to make a request; when invited, the app can open the share in the voice chat room or through the notification if the app is running in the background.
For a host, the app instructions describe how a friend can request and watch; the PS5 host steps remain the console steps above. For a viewer, the app provides a separate way to access a friend’s live share without using the viewing PS5’s Notifications screen. It does not change what is being shared: viewers still receive the game screen and audio, not the host’s other screens or non-game apps.
What Share Screen shows—and what it does not
Viewers see the game screen and hear its audio. They do not see other screens or non-game apps, and a game may make particular scenes unavailable for sharing. This is game-dependent, so a temporarily unavailable scene does not mean that the whole Share Screen feature is unavailable.
PlayStation’s description is that Share Screen lets other players in a party watch gameplay in real time “as if you’re all in the same room.” That describes a live viewing experience, not a recording or a transfer of control. The host remains the player unless they choose a different feature, such as Share Play.
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This distinction helps set expectations before you invite anyone. Share Screen is for watching the gameplay that can be shown; it does not broadcast every console screen, app, or activity. If you switch to a non-game app, viewers should not expect to see it. And if a particular game scene is unavailable, the screen may not be visible for that scene. PlayStation’s instructions do not give a list of affected games or scenes, so availability can depend on the game.
The official setup also does not identify a separate headset, capture card, controller, or other accessory as necessary for ordinary Share Screen viewing. The feature is part of the PS5 sharing flow, with the party or friend invitation serving as the connection to viewers. Do not buy an accessory on the assumption that one is required just to let friends watch.
Let viewers point things out with Viewer Interactions
Viewer Interactions are optional on-screen responses from people watching. The host can enable them from the party voice chat card’s Share Screen controls, either before sharing starts or while a session is underway. That means you can decide whether you want this extra layer before starting or change your choice during a share.
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- Viewers can move a pointer, ping or draw on the screen, and send reactions.
- The interactions appear in real time to the host and viewers.
- The host can adjust where reactions appear or turn Viewer Interactions off.
Use the feature when viewers need to indicate a location or react during gameplay. For example, a viewer can point out an area on the shared screen rather than trying to describe its position only in voice chat. The pointer, pings, drawing, and reactions are visual interactions over the shared experience; they do not give viewers control of the game. If you prefer an uncluttered view, disable interactions in the same Share Screen controls.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThese options remain under the host’s management. Viewers can send the supported interactions, while the host can adjust reaction placement or switch the feature off. If your group only wants to watch, you can leave interactions disabled; if the group is coordinating around what is visible, enabling them gives viewers a way to point at or react to on-screen content.
Share Screen or Share Play?
Choose based on what you want the friend to do. Share Screen is for watching a PS5 player’s gameplay in a party. Share Play is the separate option for handing a visitor control or playing together. PlayStation also directs a PS5 player who wants a friend on PS4 to view the screen to Share Play.
| Question | Share Screen | Share Play |
|---|---|---|
| What is it for? | Let party members watch gameplay live. | Let a visitor take control or play together, subject to game and account restrictions. |
| PS4 friend watching a PS5 screen? | The documented viewer route is party viewing on PS5. | PlayStation directs the PS4 viewer case to Share Play. |
| PlayStation Plus? | The Share Screen instructions do not state a PlayStation Plus requirement. | PlayStation says starting Share Play requires PlayStation Plus; which modes require membership from both players depends on the mode. |
| Session limit and restrictions | The Share Screen instructions note that some game scenes may be unavailable; they do not state a session time limit. | A session is limited to one hour and may also be affected by age, region, parental controls, or scenes that cannot be shared. |
For details on modes and restrictions, consult PlayStation’s Share Play instructions. The one-hour limit and membership conditions above apply to Share Play, not to ordinary party viewing with Share Screen.
Use Share Screen when the goal is simply to show friends what you are playing. Use Share Play when the goal involves a visitor taking control or playing together. If a friend is on PS4 and needs to view a PS5 player’s screen, follow PlayStation’s Share Play route rather than expecting the regular PS5 party Share Screen flow to cover that case.
Keep the Plus detail specific to Share Play: PlayStation says starting Share Play requires PlayStation Plus, but the membership requirement for both people varies by mode. The official Share Screen instructions do not state a Plus requirement. Likewise, the one-hour session limit belongs to Share Play; the Share Screen instructions do not give it that limit. Do not carry Share Play’s conditions over to ordinary Share Screen viewing.
If a friend cannot see the stream
Start with the path that matches how you invited them. A party member should check the PS5’s Notifications after pressing the PS button, or look for the Share Screen card in the Control Center. A viewer can also join a joinable party marked ON AIR. If the friend has not received an invitation, they can request the screen from the party voice chat card by selecting your player and choosing Request Share Screen.
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If the friend is watching from the PlayStation App, confirm they opened Friends, selected your online ID, and used Request Share Screen, or followed your invitation into the voice chat room. Viewing may begin automatically in that room or from the invitation notification while the app is in the background. The app has video resolution and autoplay settings, so the viewer can check those settings if they are adjusting how the stream opens or displays.
Next, check whether the issue concerns access or content. If the viewer cannot get to the share, return to the relevant join route: the notification, Control Center card, joinable party’s ON AIR indicator, or a request through the party voice chat card or PlayStation App. If the viewer has joined but cannot see a particular moment, remember that some game scenes may be unavailable and that other screens and non-game apps are not shared. For a friend on PS4, use Share Play rather than expecting the PS5 party Share Screen route to provide viewing.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Before you start: a quick route checklist
- Watching group on PS5: Join or create the party, open its voice chat card, select Share Screen, then Start Share Screen.
- Starting from another console screen: Use the Create button and Share Screen, or open a friend’s profile and select the Share Screen icon to invite them.
- Joining as a PS5 viewer: Open the Share Screen notification, use its Control Center card, or join a joinable party marked ON AIR.
- Requesting as a viewer: Select the host in the party voice chat card and choose Request Share Screen; in the app, go through Friends and the friend’s online ID.
- Wanting shared control or a PS4 viewer: Use Share Play and check its separate PlayStation Plus, one-hour session, and account or scene restrictions.
Following the matching route avoids mixing up the host’s start controls with the viewer’s join or request controls. It also makes the feature choice clear at the outset: Share Screen for live viewing, Share Play for supported shared-control or playing-together experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to start a PS5 party before sharing my screen?
The usual method is to join or start a party, open its voice chat card, select the Share Screen icon, and choose Start Share Screen. The Create menu and a friend’s profile are alternative starting points, but if you are not already in party voice chat through the Create menu, PlayStation instructs you to create or configure a party and then start sharing.
How does a friend watch my Share Screen on PS5?
The party member can press the PS button, open Notifications, and select the Share Screen notification. A Share Screen card also appears in the Control Center. If the party is joinable, the ON AIR icon identifies a party where sharing is underway, and the friend can join it.
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Yes. From the party voice chat card, the viewer can select your player and choose Request Share Screen. A viewer using the PlayStation App can open Friends, select your online ID, and choose Request Share Screen.
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Can I share non-game apps or every scene?
No. Share Screen shows the game screen and its audio, not other screens or non-game apps. Some scenes may also be unavailable depending on the game.
Can viewers interact with my gameplay?
If the host enables Viewer Interactions in the party voice chat card’s Share Screen controls, viewers can move a pointer, ping or draw on the screen, and send reactions. The host can adjust reaction placement or turn interactions off. These are visual interactions, not control of the game.
Is Share Screen the same as Share Play?
No. Share Screen is for party members to watch live gameplay. Share Play is the option for a visitor to take control or play together, subject to restrictions. PlayStation directs the PS4 viewer case for a PS5 player’s screen to Share Play.
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Does Share Screen require PlayStation Plus or have a one-hour limit?
PlayStation’s Share Screen instructions do not state a PlayStation Plus requirement or a session time limit. The one-hour limit and PlayStation Plus conditions described by PlayStation apply to Share Play; requirements for both players depend on the Share Play mode.
Do I need a capture card or headset to share?
PlayStation’s official Share Screen instructions do not identify a capture card, headset, or other separate accessory as required. The documented setup uses the PS5 sharing feature and a party or friend invitation.
The Bottom Line
For ordinary live viewing, start Share Screen from a PS5 party voice chat card and have friends join through the notification, Control Center, or PlayStation App. It shares the game screen and audio—not other apps or control of the game. Choose Share Play for supported shared control, playing together, or the documented PS4 viewer route, and remember that its Plus and one-hour conditions are separate.
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