During its Gamescom 2014 presentation, Sony revealed that Share Play will finally make its way to the PS4 in via a new firmware 2.0 update this Fall.

Share Play introduces a “virtual couch” that allows you to invite online friends and take turns in singleplayer games just as if they were in the same room. On the other hand users can enjoy local co-op with online friends through Share Play, effectively reviving the classic couch co-op experience for the modern age.

You do need to be a PlayStation Plus subscriber to reap the benefits of Share Play, however.

“…Share Play is like a “virtual couch”.  [PS4] will create an online local co-op experience by allowing you to invite a friend to join your game—even when they don’t own a copy of it. 

“With Share Play, you can even jump into a game to assist a friend. Like handing over the controller to a friend on your couch, your screen will be shared as your friend gets through the part of the game that has been giving you trouble.”

The PlayStation 4’s System Update 2.0 will also allow users to upload their captured footage straight to YouTube. This convenient feature will alleviate the need to export recorded content to a USB stick and then manually upload the footage via computer.

Share Play could very well revolutionize the console gaming experience and herald the return of local co-op, and it’s great to see the long-awaited feature finally being implemented on the PS4.

We expect there will be a few catches here and there, especially if your online friends don’t own a copy of the game themselves. Maybe we can expect time/play limits or limited functionality with Share Play, but so far the function looks like a clear winner for Sony.

PlayStation 4 System Update 2.0 is scheduled to release this Fall.

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