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FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare PS4 has no Share Play, here's why
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare doesn't include the new Share Play functionality on PS4 that allows players to have a friend play through their games via an online connection, one hour at a time, regardless of whether the friend owns the games. Share Play launched on October 28 with PS4 update 2.0, and in a statement to Joystiq, Activision says its team didn't have access to the feature while developing Advanced Warfare: "Delivering a great gaming experience for fans is our top priority. We're focused on launching Advanced Warfare and ensuring that people have a great time playing it, which our fans seem to be. Share Play is a new feature that was introduced as part of the recent PS4 firmware 2.00 update. Our engineers didn't have access to it before it launched, so we haven't had a chance to evaluate it to see how it will impact the experience across all modes of play. Of course we wouldn't include a feature in our game without having the chance to test it. Once we've fully analyzed its performance, we'll determine how to support it going forward."
Report: PS4 Share Play caps at 720p for guests
The PlayStation 4's latest update, codenamed "Masamune," adds a major feature, Share Play, to the console today. PlayStation Plus members can now share their games over PSN with friends that don't own a copy (and aren't necessarily PS Plus subscribers themselves unless both are playing), hosting one-hour play sessions at a time. As a Sony rep confirmed to Video Gamer, Share Play sessions are capped at 720p and will "have a limited frame rate" for friends partaking in the action, while those hosting the game will still see 1080p games on their screens at the full resolution. SCEE product planning manager Kazuhiro Yanase said that while Share Play "doesn't require any super-fast broadband," the company won't disclose recommended upload and download speeds for those looking to share games sessions with friends over PSN. "The internet environment is really different user by user. For example, some users will be using a LAN cable, some users will be using Wi-Fi, sometimes you use the microwave in your house," Yanase told Video Gamer. "It's very difficult for us to guarantee you can use Share Play if you have [a certain] speed." Today's update also adds the ability to play music from a USB device with support for MP3 and AAC file types. The Masamune update introduces YouTube as an option for gameplay clip uploading as well as home screen themes. We've reached out to Sony to confirm the Share Play restrictions and will update as we learn more. [Image: Sony]
How to take a seat on the PS4's virtual couch with Share Play
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for boarding Joystiq Airways. If you'll direct your attention to your screens, our extremely good-looking (and funny, don't forget funny) crew will be going over the Share Play features coming to PlayStation 4 on Tuesday, October 28, courtesy of the PlayStation Blog. Share Play, if you need a refresher, is the PS4's virtual couch. If you want to play a game with a faraway friend but said friend doesn't own the game, Share Play lets you do just that, one hour at a time. Not so good at first-person shooters but know a friend who is? Use Share Play to have your pal get you through tough spots. Want to play a quick round of competitive multiplayer in <your favorite series here> but your friend doesn't own the game? Share Play will let them join you - again, for an hour. After the PS4 update - codenamed "Masamune" - arrives, the option for Share Play will pop up when you create a party with a friend. Whoever is hosting the Share Play session will need to have an active PlayStation Plus membership no matter what. If you're the guest though, you only need your PS Plus membership to be active if you want to play with the host simultaneously. To see Play Share in action, check out an overview video from Sony after the break:
PS4 update rolls out USB music player, Share Play next week
The PlayStation 4's version 2.0 system update will arrive next Tuesday, October 28, PlayStation announced via Twitter. Codenamed "Masamune," the update adds the ability to play music from a USB stick connected to the console. As revealed earlier this month, it also features more game broadcast tools, such as the ability to archive sessions and search for specific games being broadcast, as well as themes to spice up the system's layout. One of the major features being added to the console next week is Share Play, the pass-the-controller-style cooperative multiplayer game sharing mode announced by Sony at its Gamescom 2014 event in August. Though limited to one-hour increments, the feature will be inherent to all PS4 games, allowing PS Plus members to let a friend take over a game the latter doesn't own via PSN. The Masamune update also adds a dedicated YouTube app as well as improved game library filtering options. [Image: Sony]
PS4's Share Play limited to one hour increments
When Sony unveiled its upcoming PS4 Share Play feature during its Gamescom 2014 press conference on Tuesday, a few questions remained as to how it would operate. The "virtual couch" feature allows PlayStation Plus members to play any PS4 game of choice with a friend that doesn't own the game over PSN. As Sony explained to GameSpot, Share Play is limited to 60-minute play sessions, though there's no limit on the number of times friends can play the game. Planned to launch this fall as part of system software update 2.0 for the console, Share Play will be an inherent feature for any PS4 game, as "there is no need for developers to do anything for their games to be compatible with Share Play," Sony's Shuhei Yoshida told Famitsu (as translated by Kotaku). However, a Sony representative said that the "visitor" that doesn't own the game technically "takes over the host's account," so a friend that's getting a taste of your gaming library is not able to save their play data to their own account. Rather, save files will stay with the hosting player.
Sony's Share Play turns your PS4 into a 'virtual couch' for online co-op
We just got a closer look at some of the big-name titles coming to the PS4 from Gamescom, but Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan just took a moment to talk about SharePlay. It's slated to come as part of the PS4's 2.00 update in the fall, and it's perhaps not quite what you'd expect -- the feature essentially lets you "share" your copy of a game (any game!) with online friends who also have PlayStation Plus. Sony refers to the resulting co-op experience as a "virtual couch," from which you can jointly tackle challenges in games, and yield control of your avatar to remotely situated pals who are better equipped to beat a game than you are. Sure, that'll require acknowledging someone else's gaming superiority, but at least you won't have to deal with their gloating in person.
Sony reveals 2.0 upgrade coming to PS4 with Share Play and YouTube uploads
At its Gamescom press conference, Sony has just announced its big upcoming software update for the PS4. System update 2.0 will bring the PlayStation Now-powered "Share Play" feature that lets your friends join in from anywhere to play together or take over the controls -- even if they don't own the game you're playing -- and video uploads directly to YouTube along with a native app for the service. It's due this fall and will add more features including "friend-of-friend" activity in the What's New section, instant access to friends and recently played broadcasts plus the ability to search by real names. Sony says it has more to announce in the coming months, so let us know, what do you want to see in the next big update for the 10 million+ selling PlayStation 4?
'Share Play' passes the controller to a friend in this fall's PS4 update [Update]
Sony announced that system software 2.0 will arrive on PS4 this fall. The firmware update will add a new feature known as Share Play, which allows PlayStation Plus members to invite any friend to play their games with them in a cooperative, pass-the-controller fashion. What's more, those that join their friends on Share Play don't need to own or download the game. Update: PlayStation Blog described Share Play as a "virtual couch," allowing users to play cooperatively together in addition to the aforementioned pass-the-controller method. The system update will also add a dedicated YouTube app and the ability to upload gameplay clips to the popular video platform, a feature Sony announced back at E3 in June. The What's New section of the console will also receive an upgrade with friend-of-friend suggestions and a real name search function.
