The new PlayStation 4 system software update due tomorrow will introduce the new Share Play feature that Sony is saying will revolutionise the social aspect of owning a PS4. It essentially allows people to borrow and play games with each other, even if only one of them owns the game. Which is great if one wants to play FIFA 15 with friends who haven’t bought it yet.
Share Play has three separate options for sharing games: screen sharing, passing control of the game to the other person, or allowing the other person to join the game as an additional player. In the case of screen sharing and passing control over the game over, only the owner of the game will need a PlayStation Plus account to make it happen; both players will need an account if they want to use the multiplayer option.
This looks nothing like the anticipated borrowing of games from digital libraries; although it is understandable that Sony would want a way to encourage people to buy their own games. The PlayStation Plus requirement should be expected, and this only makes subscribing for it even more enticing.
Sony claims that Share Play does not require the guest to download anything and will function as a purely streaming service. This assumes that the people involved have fast and stable internet connections, because anything less may actually make those excuses of lag very, very valid.
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
