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PS5 Share Screen, Broadcast, and Share Play at a glance
These features all let another person see gameplay, but they serve different purposes. Share Screen is designed for watching together in a party. Broadcast is for sending gameplay to a stream audience. Share Play is the option for handing a visitor control or playing together in supported games.
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| Feature | What the other person sees | What the other person can do | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share Screen | Your game screen and game audio. Other screens and non-game app screens are hidden, and some game scenes may not appear. | With Viewer Interactions enabled by the host: move a pointer, ping an area, draw, or send a reaction. These are annotations, not gameplay input. | Friends in a party want to watch in real time and react. |
| Broadcast | A gameplay stream. Other screens and non-game app screens are hidden, and some game scenes may not appear. | Viewers can watch and comment. The broadcaster can choose whether comments appear in an overlay. Sony does not document viewer gameplay control through Broadcast. | You want to stream gameplay to viewers and manage stream settings. |
| Share Play | The host’s game screen is presented to a visitor. | Depending on the mode, the visitor can play as the host or play together with the host. | Someone needs hands-on help, wants to try your game, or wants to play with you. |
Sony describes the details of Share Screen and Broadcast in separate support guides. Share Play’s modes and requirements are covered in Sony’s Share Play guide.
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The quickest way to choose is to start with the job you want the other person to do. If the goal is simply to watch a friend play, use Share Screen for a party or Broadcast for a stream audience. If you want someone to make marks on the shared picture, Share Screen can do that when its host enables Viewer Interactions. If the other person must press controls that affect the game, choose Share Play and check its mode and eligibility requirements.
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In other words, “interactive” does not always mean “playable.” Share Screen interaction is a layer of visual feedback on top of watching. Broadcast supports an audience relationship—viewing and commenting—while the broadcaster manages what goes into the stream. Share Play is the feature in this comparison that changes who can provide game input.
Can viewers control your PS5 through Share Screen?
No. Share Screen’s Viewer Interactions let a viewer mark up the shared view, not operate the game. The viewer can point to something, ping a location, draw, or send a reaction when the host has enabled the feature. Sony does not describe these actions as moving a character, choosing a menu option, or otherwise controlling gameplay.
What Viewer Interactions do
- Pointer: The viewer moves a pointer with the left stick.
- Ping: The viewer presses the cross button to mark an area.
- Draw: The viewer holds the cross button while moving to draw.
- Reaction: The viewer uses R2 with an action button to send a reaction.
The host must turn on Viewer Interactions. The host can change the setting before or during a Share Screen session and choose where reactions appear. That makes it possible to communicate about the image without handing over the controls.
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Viewer Interactions are optional, so the host can decide whether to allow them. If the session is meant to be a clean watch-only view, leave the feature off. If a group is giving visual directions or responding to a play, turn it on before sharing or change it while the session is underway. Reactions can be positioned by the host, which is separate from granting any control over the game.
What can someone control with Share Play?
Share Play is Sony’s documented feature for letting another person provide gameplay input. It offers two distinct modes, and the PlayStation Plus requirements differ between them.
| Share Play mode | What happens | PlayStation Plus requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor plays as you | Control of the host’s game is handed to the visitor. | The host needs PlayStation Plus. |
| Play with the visitor | The host and visitor take part together in supported gameplay. | Both host and visitor need PlayStation Plus. |
Only one visitor can join at a time, and the session ends automatically one hour after that visitor joins. The mode available to you can depend on account and game restrictions; Share Play may be unavailable for some accounts or games, and some scenes may not be shown. Sony recommends a high-speed connection of at least 2 Mbps for both host and visitor for best Share Play performance. That is Sony’s recommendation, not a guarantee of a particular picture quality or responsiveness.
A visitor who is going to play will need a compatible controller for their own input. A controller is not needed just to watch a Share Screen session or use its viewer annotations.
Choose Visitor plays as you when the point is to let the other person take a turn or help with the host’s game. It is a handoff of control, not merely an audience feature. Choose Play with the visitor when you intend to participate together, and only where the game supports the activity. The visitor limit is one person at a time, so Share Play is not a way to bring a whole party into a co-play session.
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The one-hour limit is worth planning around: the session ends automatically one hour after the visitor joins. If you are arranging a longer play session, do not assume that the connection will continue indefinitely. You may need to start another session, subject to the same eligibility and connection considerations.
The 2 Mbps figure is Sony’s recommended high-speed connection speed for both participants for best Share Play performance. It applies to the host and visitor, not just the person sharing. Treat it as a baseline recommendation rather than a promise: meeting it does not guarantee a particular resolution, frame rate, or responsiveness, and Sony’s support information does not make that measurement a universal quality guarantee.
How Broadcast streaming works on PS5
Broadcast is the PS5’s built-in gameplay-streaming feature. The player streams gameplay while choosing which stream elements to include. Available broadcast resolutions vary by streaming service, so a particular resolution or frame rate should not be assumed to be available on every service.
What the broadcaster can configure
- Stream resolution and frame rate, subject to the selected service’s available options.
- Whether microphone audio and party audio are included.
- Camera settings.
- Whether viewer comments appear as an overlay.
- Chat-to-speech in supported languages.
A broadcast can be paused. While it is paused, the camera feed is held and all audio is muted until the broadcast resumes. If you plan to include party voice audio, Sony advises telling party members in advance.
Broadcast is a way to distribute gameplay and manage a viewing audience; it is not a remote-control session. Sony’s Broadcast instructions describe stream and audience features, not a viewer mode for operating the game.
Think of Broadcast as the option for a player who wants to address an audience rather than invite a single visitor to take a turn. The broadcaster can decide whether to include microphone and party audio, set up the camera, and choose whether comments appear over the stream. Chat-to-speech is another available option in supported languages. Those are presentation and audience-management controls; they do not change the viewer’s role into a player.
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Linking a streaming account is part of setup. Some services require two-factor authentication, and the available resolution choices depend on the service. That means there is no single resolution promise that applies to every Broadcast destination. Check the options presented for the account and service you have linked rather than assuming every service offers the same quality settings.
Audio choices deserve particular attention before going live. Microphone audio and party audio are configurable, so do not assume every voice is automatically included—or automatically excluded. If you decide to include party voice audio, tell party members beforehand as Sony advises. Pausing Broadcast is a temporary hold: the camera feed is held and all audio is muted until the broadcast resumes.
What viewers can and cannot see
Share Screen and Broadcast share the game view, not the PS5 interface as a whole. Other screens and non-game app screens are hidden from viewers. Some scenes within a game may also be withheld, depending on the game. Do not assume that switching to a menu, another application, or a particular game scene will be visible to the audience.
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Share Play also presents the host’s game screen to its visitor, but game and account restrictions can affect availability or which scenes are shown. The three options therefore should not be treated as interchangeable ways to expose everything happening on the console.
This limitation matters if your plan depends on showing a particular piece of content. Share Screen and Broadcast are not general-purpose views of everything on the console: viewers do not see other screens or non-game app screens. Even while a game is running, some scenes may not appear. Share Play has its own eligibility and scene restrictions, so using it does not guarantee that every scene can be shared either.
For a practical demonstration, set expectations before starting. Tell viewers that they will see the game view rather than the console interface, and that a game may withhold certain scenes. If you need to show something outside gameplay, do not promise that Share Screen or Broadcast will make it visible. The documented features are centered on sharing or streaming gameplay, not exposing every screen on the system.
Which feature should you choose?
- Friends want to watch and react in a party: Start Share Screen. Enable Viewer Interactions if you want them to annotate or react.
- You want to stream gameplay to viewers who can comment: Use Broadcast, then configure the available stream, audio, camera, and comment options.
- Someone needs to take over your controls: Use Share Play’s Visitor plays as you mode if the game, accounts, and membership requirements allow it.
- You want to play together remotely: Choose Share Play’s Play with the visitor mode for supported gameplay.
- You only need to show a menu or another app: Share Screen and Broadcast do not show other screens or non-game app screens to viewers.
Here are common situations in more detail:
- You are in a party and want friends to follow the action: Share Screen is the direct fit. It is organized around party viewing and provides an optional way for viewers to annotate the image.
- You want a stream with audience comments: Broadcast is the relevant choice. Configure the comment overlay if you want comments displayed in the stream, and review your microphone, party-audio, camera, and quality options.
- A friend is trying to help you through a difficult section: Share Screen can let them point or draw on the image, but that is advice, not control. If you want them to try the game inputs themselves, look at Share Play’s Visitor plays as you mode.
- You want to take turns or play cooperatively: Share Play is the feature to check. Decide whether the visitor should take over or participate with you, then confirm the relevant PlayStation Plus requirement and game support.
- You want several people to join in and play: Do not treat one Share Play session as a group-control feature; it supports one visitor at a time. Share Screen or Broadcast can serve an audience, but those viewers do not gain gameplay control.
How to start a Share Screen session
Sony lists three ways to start Share Screen: from a party voice chat card, the Create menu, or a friend’s profile. The precise controls shown can depend on the interface state, but the flow is to start sharing from one of those places and have the intended viewer open the Share Screen card after receiving a notification.
- Choose how to start: Open the party voice chat card, the Create menu, or the friend’s profile.
- Start Share Screen: Select the Share Screen option and begin sharing your game view.
- Have the viewer join the view: The viewer receives a notification and can open the Share Screen card.
- Enable annotations if wanted: Turn on Viewer Interactions before or during the session if viewers should be able to point, ping, draw, or react.
A viewer can also request to watch another player’s screen. Sony notes that a PS4 player can be included using Share Play instead.
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For a watch-only session, the important setup choice is whether to allow Viewer Interactions. The host can enable or disable that feature before or during sharing, so it does not have to be settled permanently at the start. If the viewer expects to take control, clarify that Share Screen will not hand over the game and start the appropriate Share Play mode instead.
What you need to set up Broadcast
Broadcast requires a linked streaming account. Some services require two-factor authentication. Once the account is linked, use the console’s Broadcast controls to choose the available video quality and decide whether to include microphone audio, party audio, camera, comments, or chat-to-speech. The options and available resolutions can vary by service.
Before going live, check the audio choices carefully: party audio is not an automatic inclusion, and adding it can expose other participants’ voices to viewers. You can pause a broadcast if you need to hold the camera feed and mute all audio temporarily.
A short pre-stream check avoids confusing broadcast settings with viewer abilities. Set the quality options your chosen service makes available, decide which audio sources you intend to share, and check the camera and comment-overlay settings. If you plan to use chat-to-speech, confirm that it is offered in a supported language. These settings help shape the broadcast; none lets a viewer operate the game.
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Share Play constraints and practical checks
Before choosing Share Play, confirm that the host and visitor can use the mode they want, that the game supports the intended activity, and that the membership requirement is met. Share Play supports one visitor at a time. Broadcast and Remote Play are unavailable during PS5 Share Play, so do not plan to run those features simultaneously.
- Visitor cannot take control: Confirm you started Share Play rather than Share Screen or Broadcast, then check that you selected Visitor plays as you and meet its PlayStation Plus requirement.
- Co-play is unavailable: Check whether the game supports the activity and whether both participants have PlayStation Plus.
- Some content is missing: Game-specific restrictions may prevent a scene from appearing. Other screens and non-game app screens are not shown through Share Screen or Broadcast.
- Connection quality is poor: Sony recommends at least 2 Mbps for each Share Play participant, but meeting that recommendation does not guarantee a particular result. Network conditions can still affect the session.
- A broadcast option is missing: Available resolutions vary by service; some services also require two-factor authentication for the linked account.
There are also two scheduling and feature conflicts to remember. Share Play admits one visitor at a time and ends automatically an hour after the visitor joins. On PS5, Broadcast and Remote Play are unavailable during Share Play. If your plan depends on streaming to an audience or using Remote Play, do not expect to run that alongside a Share Play session.
Membership is mode-specific rather than a blanket requirement with one answer: the host needs PlayStation Plus for Visitor plays as you, while Play with the visitor requires PlayStation Plus for both host and visitor. Game and account restrictions still apply even when the membership requirement is met. Check the intended mode and participants before arranging the session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently asked questions
Can viewers control my PS5 when I share my screen?
No. Share Screen viewers can point, ping, draw, and react only when the host enables Viewer Interactions. Those features annotate the shared image; they do not give viewers control of gameplay. Use Share Play’s Visitor plays as you mode if a visitor needs to provide game input and the eligibility requirements are met.
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Not through Share Screen itself. For a visitor to play as the host, start Share Play and select Visitor plays as you. The host needs PlayStation Plus, and game or account restrictions may apply. If both people want to participate, Play with the visitor is the Share Play mode to consider; both participants need PlayStation Plus and the game must support the activity.
Can Share Screen viewers draw or react?
Yes, if the host enables Viewer Interactions. A viewer can move a pointer with the left stick, press cross to ping, hold cross while moving to draw, or use R2 with an action button to send a reaction. These actions remain annotations and reactions rather than gameplay commands.
What’s the difference between PS5 Share Screen and streaming?
Share Screen is party viewing with optional viewer annotations. Broadcast streams gameplay to an audience and offers settings for resolution and frame rate, audio, camera, comment overlays, and chat-to-speech in supported languages. Neither is documented as giving viewers gameplay control; Share Play is the option for visitor control or co-play.
Can I show menus or other apps with Share Screen or Broadcast?
Sony says other screens and non-game app screens are not visible to viewers through Share Screen or Broadcast. Some game scenes may also be withheld. These features should not be treated as a way to show every screen on the console.
Can I stream a Share Play session with Broadcast?
Broadcast and Remote Play are unavailable during PS5 Share Play. Plan to use Share Play for the visitor-control or co-play session rather than assuming you can run Broadcast at the same time.
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How many people can join Share Play, and how long does it last?
Only one visitor can join at a time. The session ends automatically one hour after the visitor joins. Those limits are separate from the audience options offered by Broadcast or the party-watching purpose of Share Screen.
What internet speed does Share Play need?
Sony recommends a high-speed connection of at least 2 Mbps for both the host and visitor for best performance. This is a recommendation, not a guarantee of a particular stream quality or responsiveness.
The practical difference
Share Screen makes watching a friend’s game more interactive through visual annotations, but it does not transfer gameplay control. Broadcast is for streaming gameplay with configurable audio, camera, and audience-comment features. Share Play is the appropriate choice when another person needs to play as you or play alongside you, subject to its membership, game, account, connection, and session limits.
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Can viewers control my PS5 when I share my screen?
No. Share Screen viewers can point, ping, draw, and react if the host enables Viewer Interactions, but those actions do not control gameplay. Use Share Play’s Visitor plays as you mode when a visitor needs to provide game input.
Can someone play my game through PS5 screen sharing?
Not through Share Screen. Share Play’s Visitor plays as you mode hands control to the visitor, subject to game and account restrictions; the host needs PlayStation Plus. Play with the visitor requires PlayStation Plus for both people and a supported game.
Can Share Screen viewers draw or react?
Yes. If the host enables Viewer Interactions, a viewer can use the pointer, ping, drawing, or reaction controls. They annotate the image rather than operate the game.
What’s the difference between PS5 Share Screen and streaming?
Share Screen is for party viewing with optional annotations. Broadcast streams gameplay to an audience and offers configurable stream, audio, camera, and comment features. Neither is documented as a way for viewers to control the game; Share Play is used for visitor control or co-play.
Can I show menus or other apps with Share Screen or Broadcast?
No. Other screens and non-game app screens are hidden, and some game scenes may not appear. Share Screen and Broadcast are gameplay-sharing features, not ways to show everything on the console.
Can I use Broadcast during Share Play?
No. Broadcast and Remote Play are unavailable during PS5 Share Play.
How many visitors can join Share Play, and how long does it last?
One visitor can join at a time. The session ends automatically one hour after the visitor joins.
What connection speed does Sony recommend for Share Play?
Sony recommends at least 2 Mbps for both the host and visitor for best performance. It is a recommendation, not a guarantee of a particular quality or responsiveness.
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Use Share Screen for party viewing and optional visual reactions, Broadcast for streaming gameplay to an audience, and Share Play when someone needs to control the game or play alongside you. Only Share Play enables visitor gameplay input, and its mode, PlayStation Plus requirements, one-visitor limit, one-hour session limit, and game and account restrictions matter.
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