14 DAY TRIAL // This Tuesday, on October 28, Sony is rolling out the highly anticipated firmware update 2.0 for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system.
Among the many features contained within the update, the one enabling gamers to play their friends’ games, titled Share Play, is undoubtedly the one that fans are most excited about.
The update, codenamed Masamune, will transform PlayStation 4 units into virtual couches, with gamers being able to show their friends what they’re playing and even invite them into their games or enabling them to take over.
Another great reason to own a PlayStation 4
The innovative feature enables gamers to create a virtual cooperative experience, enabling gamers to invite friends into their games even if they don’t own the game being played.
The feature comes with three different options, the first of which is Share Screen, allowing a friend to spectate your gaming session and provide helpful tips or gain valuable information from your gameplay. This first option is accessible even without a PlayStation Plus membership.
The second mode allows you to hand over the controller to your guests, virtually, and to let them play your game. The friend does not need to own or even download the game in order to be able to jump right into the action and pick things up where you left off.
This is a great way to introduce your friends to new games and let them take them for a spin. The user initiating Share Play must have a PlayStation Plus subscription, but the guest user does not need one in order to play.
The third and final way that Share Play can be utilized is also the most exciting one of them all, essentially enabling a friend of yours to join your game as player two, and letting you share your adventure.
However, in order to make use of the virtual coop mode, both the host and the guest must have PlayStation Plus.
Further information on Share Play
In an effort to clear some of the confusion regarding the upcoming feature, Sony’s PR Manager Andrew Kelly responded to some questions from fans in the comments section of the PlayStation Blog, revealing some of the particularities of the feature.
First of all, guests making use of the Share Play feature will be able to earn Trophies, but they will only be reflected on the game owner’s account, which means that if you’re playing a friend’s game, you’ll only be aiding him or her to earn Trophies faster, but you won’t earn them for yourself.
Kelly has also revealed that Share Play comes with a 60-minute session limit that’s set in stone, but that there is no limit to the amount of actual sessions that guests can initiate with a host, and regardless of whether both users own the game in question.
