Game Sharing

CaptnSpaulding

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I'm sorry if we're not supposed to talk about this here but I honestly don't know if Sony allow this after their 2013 E3 conference where they were all up for 'Sharing'. Please close if not appropriate.

My brother just traded his X360 and PS3 for a PS4 and I made his PSN account the main owner or whatever you call it. I then added a second user and used my details and started to download all my games (free PS Plus games and AC BF). They played fine on my name. I switched user back to his and all the games have padlocks on them. When trying to play them, it says only the account who purchased them can play them.

Is there a way around this? If I deactivate my PSN account on my PS4 and activate it on as the main account holder, I assume I won't be able to play them on my PS4 then?

If there isn't a way around this apart from him logging into my name on his PS4, will that cause problems with save files in the cloud? Also if I log in on my PS4, will it kick him off my name on his PS4?

Thanks :)
 
From my understanding...make your account on his PS4 a Primary account (you can have more than one primary account per console)

Your account doesn't need to be primary on your system for you to play games purchased by you but then no other accounts on your system will be able to play your games.
 
From my understanding...make your account on his PS4 a Primary account (you can have more than one primary account per console)

Your account doesn't need to be primary on your system for you to play games purchased by you but then no other accounts on your system will be able to play your games.

This.

You can have more than one primary account on a PS4, but each account can only be primary on one PS4 at a time.

All accounts on the same console as a primary account can play the games of that primary account - if they have been downloaded by the primary account holder.

I use this feature to have my UK account as primary as well as having a US PSN account primary on the same console. My children have their own accounts on the same console and can play any games I've downloaded from my UK or US accounts.

In a hypothetical situation where my brother had a PS4 (we don't live in the same house) I might make his console my primary one and he make my console his primary one and we would be able play each others games.
 
If I deactivate my console though to activate on my brothers, will I be able to play games on my console?

I tried making my account the primary on his but it says I have to deactivate mine first as you can only have one primary account!?
 
If I deactivate my console though to activate on my brothers, will I be able to play games on my console?

I tried making my account the primary on his but it says I have to deactivate mine first as you can only have one primary account!?
Yes
 
Thanks guys, all done!

Only problem is it won't let me purchase things on the mobile app and set my PS4 to download them now. Never mind, once he's played the games I have I'll activate my console as primary again!
 
Thanks guys, all done!

Only problem is it won't let me purchase things on the mobile app and set my PS4 to download them now. Never mind, once he's played the games I have I'll activate my console as primary again!
But then he won't be able to play those games anymore.
 
So I gave up on this idea after noticing a few things;

1. As above, you cannot purchase through the website or app and set the PS4 to start downloading
2. It disables auto uploading of game saves

It's a shame really as my son is saving his money for a PS4 but thought I'd surprise him at Xmas so he can use his saved money to buy games. Would have been nice if he'd have access to my downloaded games seeing as we're in the same house but on different consoles - a bit like Steam does.

I feel disgusting and dirty by saying this but I don't know whether to change to the Xbone as I think they have a family share feature - otherwise buying duplicate games is going to seem a waste and cost a lot!
 
From what I understand the XB1 pretty much works the same. You have to have your account set as the home console on his XB1.
 
So I gave up on this idea after noticing a few things;

1. As above, you cannot purchase through the website or app and set the PS4 to start downloading
2. It disables auto uploading of game saves

It's a shame really as my son is saving his money for a PS4 but thought I'd surprise him at Xmas so he can use his saved money to buy games. Would have been nice if he'd have access to my downloaded games seeing as we're in the same house but on different consoles - a bit like Steam does.

I feel disgusting and dirty by saying this but I don't know whether to change to the Xbone as I think they have a family share feature - otherwise buying duplicate games is going to seem a waste and cost a lot!

You will be no better off on the One.

You can share games with your son, but not your brother as well.

This will be the case for both PS4 and XB1.
 
So I gave up on this idea after noticing a few things;

1. As above, you cannot purchase through the website or app and set the PS4 to start downloading
Yes you can...Buy on the website, and pick "Download to your PS4".
PS4 has to be in standby mode though, FYI
Go into your Download List on the website/app, and you will see that option.

If in the same house with 2 consoles, seperate accounts are a waste I think, why not pool your cash/accounts, and just use 1..you can have more than 1 console,(master accounts can buy whatever they want, but in the past, second accounts for kids have proved problematic, as to age restrictions, etc) so he and you can use a main primary on different consoles, so your one won't need to be signed in to play, but your sons would, as it would be classed as a second console.
 
Yes you can...Buy on the website, and pick "Download to PS4".
Go into your Download List on the website/app, and you will see that option.
Yip, do that all the time. Just make sure the PS4 is set to do this (stand by mode).
 
Oh does it? When I deactivated mine it said I wouldn't be able to do this anymore!?

Xbox family sharing no better then? Ah well I'll stick to this then. Thanks guys
 
Oh does it? When I deactivated mine it said I wouldn't be able to do this anymore!?

Xbox family sharing no better then? Ah well I'll stick to this then. Thanks guys
Yeah, it will say that, as you will have deactivated your system, so effectively until you do again, the console is in limbo(for example, it might be sold/faulty, etc).
And yeah, no family sharing on XB1.
 
Oh does it? When I deactivated mine it said I wouldn't be able to do this anymore!?

Xbox family sharing no better then? Ah well I'll stick to this then. Thanks guys

There's no family sharing on XB1 but me and my two sons all get access to all the games over both the consoles and can get online on both too.
Son 1 is the primary downloader of all the games and my Xbox is set as his home console so all of us get access to all the games in the main room.
So on his Xbox he can log in and download all the games (but be has to be signed in to play them). We play online together on the same game too so only pay for the one digital copy.
Son 2 can also sign in on Son 1's Xbox and get access to everything and play online but Son 1's profile must be logged in to achieve this. It works a treat for us.

I have a PS4 and the plan was to do exactly the same when we got a 2nd PS4 but Sod's law, my boys changed their minds and wanted to go back to Xbox so I'm now selling the PS4 as I wasn't bothered what consoles we had. Very happy with the XB1 as it has a lot more features that we use as far as I'm concerned but both are great pieces of kit. Anyway, it made sense for Son 1 to be the roaming profile as he is the one who usually goes upstairs to play in his room and everyone else gets access to the games downstairs so the setup we have works perfectly.
 

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