PS4 Share Play: What you can and can’t do while sharing a game
The PS4’s latest update – firmware Two.00, which is out today – introduces a number of fresh features to Sony’s console.
As well as the introduction of YouTube sharing, themes, USB music playback and improvements to voice directives and library organisation, the update will introduce Share Play, permitting players to share their play session with another player over the internet, accomplish with direct control and co-op multiplayer.
Share Play sits alongside the other console sharing features, and while it has some constraints – such as PlayStation Plus requirements, sixty minute session lengths, and is limited to two players at launch – it looks to permit games to be collective with another user quickly and lightly.
The Share option – which presently houses the capability to upload screenshots, movies and stream gameplay – will add a fourth option named ‘Commence Share Play’.
When you begin Share Play, a private party must be created and a user on your friends list invited. The host can proceed to play the game until the recipient accepts, where by default, the recipient can see a non-interactive mirror of the host’s game.
From there, the Host has two more options with the Share menu. One is handing over control to the user, while the other is to play the game together, so that a local multiplayer game can be played online.
Unlike Far Sob Four’s upcoming ‘Keys to Kyrat’ co-op feature, no game data is required to be downloaded or installed when sharing a game. In a future update, an icon for the game will be available on the recipient’s Home screen after the sharing session is over, permitting them to purchase it from the store if they wish.
Limitations: PS Plus, Resolution, session length, and number of players
Most elements of sharing control over Share Play is only possible with a PlayStation Plus subscription. Only the recipient being given direct control of the game doesn’t require a subscription, nor does mirroring gameplay from one user to another.
Meantime, flows are limited to a maximum resolution of 720p, and can fluctuate based on the quality of the internet connection.
While Sony couldn’t specify the minimum internet speed required to use Share Play, it was said if your connection can treat a movie stream from elsewhere, then it should work, since that’s what Share Play essentially does (not unlike streaming service PlayStation Now).
While players can Share Play as often as they like with anyone, each individual session is limited to sixty minutes at a time following developer feedback.
"There is no limitation how many times you can use Share Play. there is no cooldown time," product planning manager Kazuhiro Yanase told press including Digital Spy at a behind closed doors briefing.
"In the development time of this feature, we had a lot of feedback from game developers, and sixty minutes was determined based on [that] feedback."
While players must create a party in order to use Share Play, only two players – the host and one recipient – can use the feature at any one time.
When asked whether this number would increase after launch, Yanase said: "Maybe, yes. We’re attempting to improve the number of Share Play [users] in the future."