How to manage multiple accounts on your PS4
Blue Playstation 4 Slim with controller, Uncharted, and The Last Guardian Hero
(Image credit: Android Central)
Video game consoles are expensive for most families, so, understandably, many will have to share one and create multiple accounts on it. Managing multiple accounts on a single PlayStation 4 is relatively stress-free, though it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you’re unfamiliar with the process. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Creating multiple accounts
Before you even begin to set up multiple accounts, you’ll need to set up your first one.
- Turn on your PS4 console.
- Select your account on the welcome screen or set up a new account.
- If setting up a new account, fill out the information as prompted. (Email, region, language, date of birth, address, chosen PlayStation Network ID, password, and credit card information.
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- You must use a different email for each PSN account as you are unable to create multiple PlayStation Network IDs under one email using the same console.
Either way, at this point, you’ll be asked if you want to play as a guest or create a new user. You should choose the Create a User option. The only time you might ever want to use the Guest option is when you have a friend over for a quick video game session and don’t care about saving any data.
Under Create a User, you’re given the choice of skipping the process of creating a new PSN account or hitting next to create one. If you skip, you’ll be able to quickly set up an account offline attached to your console, though if you’re looking to create multiple PSN accounts for different people, I wouldn’t recommend this option. Simple User IDs like this do not have access to many features such as multiplayer, PlayStation Plus, or the ability to purchase games. You’ll almost always want to hit «next» and set up a new PSN account if you have multiple members of your family sharing one system.
Switching users
The easiest tip here is how to switch users. You won’t need to manually sign out of your console every time someone else wants to log in.
- From the home screen, scroll all the way to the right and select Power.
- Choose Switch User.
It’s as simple as that.
Sony’s lagging behind with PlayStation Plus options for families, but there are still benefits that multiple users can get under one membership.
As long as the PS4 is set as the primary console for whichever account subscribes to PlayStation Plus, other PSN accounts on the same console can play online multiplayer, play downloaded games purchased with a PSN discount, and play the free monthly games available to PS Plus members.
What other accounts cannot do is use the PS Plus discount for themselves to take advantage of savings when purchasing games, access online game save storage, enable auto patch downloads, or access exclusive early game trials for PS Plus members.
Activate as primary PS4
Activating your console as your primary PS4 is also an easy process.
- From the home screen, navigate to Settings.
- Select Account Management. Source: Android Central
- Select Activate as Your Primary PS4.
Pick up these great PlayStation 4 accessories and gift cards
PSN gift card (Image credit: Sony)
PlayStation Network gift card (From $10 at Amazon)
You can never go wrong with a PlayStation Network gift card. Whether you’re looking to purchase a game, some DLC, or your favorite app, you’ll want to have some extra funds in your PSN wallet.
PS Plus 12 month gift card render (Image credit: PlayStation)
PlayStation Plus 12-month membership ($60 at Amazon)
Picking up a PlayStation Plus membership is the best way to get the most out of your console.
With a membership set up on your primary PS4, you can share its benefits with your family, benefit from discounts, online multiplayer, and even monthly free games.
hyperx chargeplay (Image credit: HyperX)
HyperX ChargePlay Duo ($30 at Amazon)
Charge up your controllers without taking up that precious USB space on your console. The HyperX ChargePlay Duo can charge two at once in two hours through an AC adapter.
Jennifer Locke has been playing video games nearly her entire life. You can find her posting pictures of her dog and obsessing over PlayStation and Xbox, Star Wars, and other geeky things.
Can I have multiple PSN accounts on PS4?
Disclaimer: It has been years since I have needed to do any of the bellow or need a second account, as such information may be outdated due to changes to the system software/PSN Policy
I would like to have two Playstation accounts on one [PS4] … My girlfriend wants to play the same game as me along with other games I don’t want to play.
She wants to be able to buy her own games without using my wallet or messing up my progress in my games so we want our own Playstation accounts
This can be done
First off you’d want to Log Out of your account so you can see a screen similar to this
selecting «New User» and then «Create a User» you’ll be asked to either sign into PSN or create a new account. if your girlfriend doesn’t have an account she can make one here otherwise just have her log in.
For Digital Game Sharing, you’d want to make your account as the primary account for that console. I do believe you can do this by signing into your account and then going to your user profile settings and looking for something like «Activate this console»
with this, you’re girlfriend can now play any digital game you have brought and downloaded while having her own save games and trophy progression/collection. however it will not work in reverse as explained here on IGN
Registering your PS4 as your primary system will allow other users who play on the same console with different accounts access to any games you’ve downloaded without you having to log in.
Additionally, if you have PS Plus and register a PS4 as your primary console, then every account that plays on that system will be able to make use of certain benefits like online multiplayer even without their own PS Plus subscription.
If you want to play on another PS4 that isn’t your primary console, you can download any game you’ve bought on the PS Store as long as you sign into PSN. Only you’ll be able to start the games you’ve downloaded, and you can only be logged into two consoles at any one time: your primary PS4 and one other secondary one (like a friend’s). The good news is there’s no limit on the number of systems you can download your games to. You have to be logged in in order to play, but from the sounds of things this means you can share digital games with as many mates as you like, though only one of these secondary consoles will be able to play a title at any given time and you’ll have to tell them your password so they can log in.
Since you’re Girlfriend’s account would be like if you was logging into a second console, she can log in and buy/download games with her own wallet but you will be unable to play them unless she is logged in.
Also remember that this does not affect physical games, ie. if she buys a physical copy of a game and plays it first, you can later play that game without her needing to be logged in. and obviously in reverse you don’t need to set the PS4 as your primary console for her to play physical games you have brought and played first
Hello. Recently purchased a ps4. Can I play the same game with two profiles on the same console? So that everyone has their own save.
Ksenia
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If I’m not mistaken, you can create multiple accounts (profiles) for PS4. It seems like one account should be the main one, and the second — additional. Accordingly, each profile will have its own saves and settings.
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Hello. Recently purchased a ps4. Can I play the same game with two profiles on the same console? So that everyone has their own save. — 2 answers, given
Mark Ovramov
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Of course you can. For each profile I will have my own saves. Create one for yourself, and the second for another person. It does not matter on which account the games will be. It is important that this account is the main one, then other accounts will be able to play this game.
Therefore, just before entering the game, change your account and play for your health.
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Hello. Recently purchased a ps4. Can I play the same game with two profiles on the same console? So that everyone has their own save. — 2 answers, asked by
Anastasia BonneFee
IT teacher. · 19 Nov 2018
When one console and multiple profiles, each will have their own saves and trophies.
You just need to make this console the main one for your account. Then all other users of this console will have access to all your purchased applications in the PS Store. The first time you log in, the console will automatically become your profile’s primary console, but this can also be set in «Settings» -> «Account Management» -> «Activate as Primary PS4» -> «Activate».
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One PS4 game for two | How to share a PS4 game with a friend
Did you know that you can share games from the same PSN account between two users and thus play, for example, a multiplayer game for two, although it was purchased from only one, and also enjoy the benefits of one subscription PS Plus for two?
Naturally, it will be possible to play single games, while progress will be counted for each individual.
Therefore, you can buy one game on PSN by throwing off money, and play it together. I will not delve into the theory, but just tell you how to do it so that it works.
Suppose we have two users named Arnie and Jackie.
1. Arnie and Jackie must deactivate their main accounts on their consoles. To do this, go to settings, account management, activate as the main PS4 system and click deactivate. If the deactivate button is inactive, then just go to the next step.
2. Arnie must create a new user on his console and enter the login and password from Jackie’s account on it and go to it. To do this, go to settings, login settings, user management, create a user, then enter the login and password from Jackie’s account and go into it.
3. Arnie activates Jackie’s account for his console as the main one. To do this, go to settings, account management, activate as the main PS4 system and click activate.
4. Arnie enters Jackie’s library and downloads games.
5. Now Jackie creates a new user on his console, enters the login and password from Arnie’s account and logs into it.
6. Jacky activates Arnie’s account for his console as the main one.
7. Jackie enters Arnie’s library and downloads games.
Arnie and Jackie can now switch to their own accounts and play each other’s games as soon as they are downloaded. As I said at the beginning of the video, if one of the players bought PS PLUS, then both players will be able to use it.
There is one caveat. If Arnie logs into Jackie’s account in order to put games on the download, and at this time Jackie is playing on the console, then Jackie’s game will close and a warning will pop up. Therefore, in order for Jackie not to swear, Arnie must necessarily coordinate this moment with him, and vice versa too.
Can I get banned for this?
According to Sony’s rules, you can use this service within the same household — that means within the same house, for example, in neighboring rooms or floors of the same house.
