Playing two on the PlayStation traditionally raises a lot of questions. Sony offers several ways, but some of them are too expensive and others require careful setup. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at how to play with friends on the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

1. How to play via split–screen. What is “split–screen.”

The first and most obvious way is a split–screen. All it takes is one console, two gamepads, a TV, and a friend. It does not matter at all whether you play on PS4 or PS5 – the version does not matter. This system is called “split–screen“. Unfortunately not all the games support this technology. Developers do not want to waste extra resources on parallel processing of two game sessions at a time – it’s much easier to make a joint game network. To set up this mode, you need to create a second profile on the console. Activate the PlayStation, and then press the power button on the second gamepad. A login screen will appear where you can select “create a new profile. Note that the guest account does not save achievements and is completely deleted when the session ends. It is much more convenient to create a standard profile that your second player will always use.

2. How to play doubles via PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus is a paid subscription. Not only does it allow you to get multiple games once a month, but it also allows you to use multiplayer. If you and a friend have paid PlayStation Plus, just open a suitable game and enjoy. Naturally, you have to use different consoles and install the same version of the game. The cost of this solution is quite high, so it will not suit everyone.

3. How to play together via Share Play

One of the original features of the console is to share your screen with your friends. To do this, you must be united in a “hangout“. As soon as one player starts showing, the others get a notification. By selecting him you become a spectator, and the organizer must determine the mode – the spectator plays for him or plays with him. If the organizer allowed to play for him – you can participate as if you started the game on your console. It is important that the host of the broadcast must have an active PS Plus subscription. The second mode is much more interesting. If the game supports local multiplayer, through Share Play you will be able to start playing together. In this case it will be enough to have the game installed only at the host. However, there is a nuance here – both gamers must have a PS Plus subscription.

4. How to play together via Remote Play

The peculiarity of the Remote Play feature is that you can launch any game from a third–party device – computer, tablet and even phone. If you are going to friends who only have a PC, all you need to do is bring your gamepads with you. Download the Remote Play software to an available device and sign in to your PlayStation Network profile. By connecting your gamepad to your PC or phone, you will have access to the full functionality of the console. By connecting multiple gamepads to the selected device you can try to set up local multiplayer. In any case the network game will be available. It is important that this method requires quite fast internet. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to play on the road.

5. How to create a “pair” between two consoles PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5

Once we’ve dealt with the obvious ways, let’s move on to the more interesting ones. If you and a friend have two PlayStation, you can create a “pair.” This will seriously save you money on buying PlayStation Plus and digital versions of games. Importantly, the methods are slightly different on the 4 and 5 “plays,” so you can’t pair between consoles of different generations. Swap PSN accounts with a buddy and add each other’s profiles to consoles. To do this, open Settings – Login Settings – User Management – Create User. The simple way is to press the activation button on the gamepad and select “Create profile“. Then you need to open “Settings” – “Account Management” – “Activate as main PlayStation 4” – “Deactivate“. The comrade, in turn, must do the same in his/her own place. Now the friend’s account must be made the main account. Go to his profile and open “Settings” – “Account Management” – “Activate as main system PlayStation 4” – “Activate“. In turn, your buddy does the same thing. Staying in your friend’s profile, open his library and put the games you want to download. Go back to your account to see that the downloaded games are available for you too. The same goes for a PlayStation Plus subscription. All it takes is for at least one user to have it – all the features will be available to everyone in the “pair“. This significantly saves costs, allowing you to get all the benefits of the subscription, including free games. Please note that both consoles must be connected to the Internet at all times.