Yes, two people can play the same game through game sharing

Game sharing enables you to access games owned by another player. With over 93% of gamers playing multiplayer at times (VentureBeat), it‘s no surprise that being able to play the same games is a popular benefit. Here‘s an in-depth look at how it works across Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.

Xbox Game Sharing

The Xbox makes game sharing straightforward through its "Home Xbox" system. By setting another player‘s console as your account‘s Home Xbox, they gain access to your entire game library.

Setup and Activation

To get started, sign in on your friend‘s Xbox and go to Settings > Personalization > My Home Xbox. Confirm that you want to activate this system and designate it as your Home Xbox. Up to 5 accounts can share in this way on the same console thanks to the Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family plan.

Online and Local Multiplayer Support

Once activated for game sharing, all multiplayer modes are available including:

• Online multiplayer through Xbox Live
• Local wireless multiplayer
• Split-screen cooperation on the same TV

You simply sign in with your own Xbox Live account and can both play together. The table below summarizes the maximum number of players.

With large online sessions available, you and your game share partner can battle alongside over 100 other gamers.

Limitations

While the Home Xbox gets full access to games, there are restrictions when not playing on the Home console:

• Only the Home Xbox can play games offline
• You can only share with one Xbox at a time as the Home console

Outside of these constraints, game sharing works seamlessly on Xbox whether you want to play co-op campaigns or competitive multiplayer.

PlayStation Game Sharing

PlayStation 4 and 5 allow game sharing through an offline activation process. This links your PSN account to another console for access to your purchased games.

Setup and Activation

On your friend‘s PS4 or PS5 go to:

Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play

Toggle this setting on and sign in with your PSN account credentials to activate game sharing. Only one console can be activated at a time.

Online and Local Multiplayer

For multiplayer gaming, PlayStation supports:

• Online play through PSN
• Local wireless gaming
• Share Play streaming between consoles

The table outlines how many can play on each mode:

So you won‘t be limited for online sessions, but local multiplayer maxes out at 4 players. Share Play uniquely streams games between consoles.

Limitations

While offline game sharing works well, there are some limits around playing together:

• Only primary activated console can play offline
• PlayStation Plus required on both to play online multiplayer

So an active Plus membership is necessary for co-op and competitive online gaming. Overall though, PlayStation game sharing provides plentiful options for playing the same games.

Nintendo Switch Game Sharing

The Switch uses account linking instead of console activation for game sharing. This focuses on local wireless multiplayer rather than online co-op gaming.

Setup and Activation

There is no explicit activation or linking process on the Switch. Simply use your account on a friend‘s Nintendo Switch to access your games through:

System Settings > Users > Add User

Create or link your Nintendo account. Up to 8 accounts can access games on one Switch console.

Local Wireless Multiplayer

Local wireless play lets up to 8 Switch systems connect to play multiplayer games:

• Play side-by-side wirelessly
• Interact in supported co-op and competitive games

So while game sharing, you can sit together in the same room with your Switches and play in matches together.

Online Multiplayer Limitations

Unfortunately, while game sharing on Switch provides excellent local multiplayer access, online play is restricted:

• Can‘t play co-op online multiplayer between accounts
• Only the primary account holder can play games online

This differs from Xbox and PlayStation, limiting online co-op and multiplayer through game sharing on the Switch.