How To Fix PS4 Share Play Not Working? [2023]

Whenever you or your friend encounter the issue of PS4 Share Play not working, something is wrong with your internet connection or its configurations. Therefore, rule out the possibility by power cycling your router, verifying internet speed, and other fixes discussed in this guide.

Key Takeaways

• PS4 Share Play may fail to work due to slow internet, faulty DNS, or problems with the PSN servers.
• It can cause error code NP 37667-9, CE 37742-3, and NP 37671-4 to appear. 
• Switch to a wired connection, rebuild the database from the “Safe Mode,” or modify DNS settings to eliminate the issue.

Why Is PS4 Share Play Not Working?

Here are the possible reasons for this issue:

• Slow or unstable internet.
• Insufficinet internet speed.
• Fault or glitches in the system or its data.
• Outdated system software.
• PlayStation servers malfunction.
• Enabled Parental Controls.

Furthermore, the following error codes are associated with PS4 Share:

• Error Code NP 37667-9.
• Error Code CE 37742-3.
• Error Code NP 37671-4.

How To Fix PS4 Share Play Not Working?

There are many effective solutions you or your friend can use if Share Play is not functioning on your PlayStation 4. Let’s discuss them in this section.

Power Cycle Your Router

Before resorting to any troubleshooting method, we recommend you power cycle your internet router to rule out the possibility that the problem lies within your internet.

Here are the complete steps to run a power cycle on your router:

1. Grab your internet router and locate the “Power” button. It is built on the back side of most routers.
2. Press it once to turn off the device.
3. Next, “Switch Off” from the electric board.
4. Unplug the “Ethernet” and “Power” cords from your router.

   

5. Sit it out for about 5 minutes.
6. Now, re-insert the cords.

   

7. Then, “Switch On” from the board.
8. Turn on your WiFi router and restore the internet connection to your PS4.

Ensure You Have PlayStation Plus

The Share Play mode offered by Sony consoles is only limited to users who have subscribed to PlayStation Plus. If either you or your friend does not have the subscriptions, you will not be able to use the feature.

Restart Your PS4

Restarting the console will eliminate any temporary glitches or bugs messing with its features and functionality. Furthermore, learn how to reset the PS5 controller in a few quick steps.

Start Share Play From The Controller

This is another method we found while trying to fix the issue. Instead of starting Share Play from “Settings,” you need to hit the “Share” button on your controller. This will give you a choice to “Start Share Play,” select the option, and the feature should start working.

Check PlayStation Servers

The PlayStation servers may be down worldwide or in certain regions, halting its features and online services, such as Share Play.

Verify the server status with these steps:

1. Open your default browser and type “PlayStation Server Status.”
2. Follow the first link, “PSN Service Status.”

   

3. It will lead you to a different webpage.
4. Choose your country/region from the dropbox.

   

5. It should read, “All Servers Are Up And Running,” to indicate no issues on their end.
6. You will also notice a green circle before each PS feature when they are working fine. However, an orange or red circle may indicate an ongoing issue with the service.

   

Verify If The Game Is Available 

We noticed Share Play was not working on PS4 when we tried to share a game unavailable in our friend’s region. Therefore, you can only play games accessible in your and your friend’s regions.

Use A LAN Cable

Using a LAN cable is always better, as it is more stable and fast. A Wi-Fi connection can cause different issues if it is not stable. Therefore, to fix the error, try switching to a LAN connection. 

Ensure Optimum Internet Speed

Both you and your friend should have a minimum of 2Mbps of internet speed for Share Play to run without disruptions. Furthermore, if you cannot use a LAN cable, place the WiFi router close to your console to avoid signal interruptions. You can check your internet speed via third-party software like Speedtest by Ookla.

Adjust Video Resolution

As per our testing, incorrect configurations for Share Play’s video output may also cause issues in its proper running. Using “Standard” settings helps in a smother shared gameplay.

Use these steps to modify Video Resolution:

1. Open the “Homescreen” on your PS4.
2. Access the bottom menu and go to “Party.”

   

3. Highlight the “Start Party” option and hit your controller’s “Options” button.
4. A menu will pop up on your right. Head to “Party Settings.”

   

5. Navigate to “Video Quality For Share Play” and select it.

   

6. Set “Resolution” and “Frame Rate” to “Standard.”

   

Change DNS Settings

For this method to work, you and your friend may want to use a LAN Cable connection for the internet. Plus, we will switch to the Google DNS server since it works better on our console. 

Follow these steps diligently to modify DNS settings on your PS4:

1. Head to “Settings” from the menu on the “Homescreen.”

   

2. Pick “Network.”

   

3. Choose “Set Up Internet Connection.”

   

4. Select “Use A LAN Cable.”

   

5. Go with “Custom.”

   

6. Click on “Automatic.”

   

7. Next, choose “Do Not Specify.”

   

8. Pick “Manual” because we want to modify the DNS settings.

   

9. Set “Primary DNS” to “8.8.8.8” and “Secondary DNS” to “8.8.4.4,” which is Google’s address.
10. Press “Next” once adjusted.

    

11. Move with “Automatic.”

    

12. For Proxy Server, decide “Do Not Use.”

    

13. Your internet settings will be updated.

    

Reduce The Number Of Devices On Your Connection

Another effective way to make Share Play function is disconnecting idle devices on the network to allow more bandwidth for your PS4. Additionally, verify that someone is not using high-quality video streaming sites, like YouTube, Netflix, or Twitch, on the connection since it consumes a good amount of bandwidth.

We also found Share Play not working and showing instability on our PS4 when a team member was simultaneously downloading a large file using the same network. So, avoid downloading heavy files via the internet while using Share Play.

Turn Off Parental Controls

If you have Parental Restrictions enabled on your PS4, you might not be able to access some features, such as Share Play. Therefore, turn off the controls to resume using the service, as it helped us fix with the issue. 

Here is how you can turn off these restrictions:

1. Head to “Settings.”
2. Pick “Parental Controls/Family Management.”

   

3. Open “PS4 System Restrictions.”

   

4. Enter the default password, “0000.”
5. Now, choose “Default Parental Controls.”

   

6. Set “Allowed” in all the sections on this screen.

   

Rebuild PS4 Database

Rebuilding the database clears the system cache and refreshes the temporary data stored on the console, eliminating glitches and bugs. We prefer rebuilding the database from Safe Mode.

Rebuild the database from Safe Mode with these steps:

1. Bring your PS4 to the “Safe Mode” by long-pressing your console’s “Power” button.
2. Wait till you hear two beep sounds, and let go after the second beep.
3. Once the screen comes up on your display, connect the PS4 controller to the console via a USB cable.

   

4. Press the “PS” button on your controller.
5. There will be seven options on your screen. Choose “Rebuild Database.

   

6. Select “OK.”
7. You will see a blue screen reading, “Rebuilding Database.”
8. Wait for the process to complete, and do not turn off the PS4.

Look For PS4 Updates

The features and services may also malfunction when your console has an available system update ready to be installed. Check if that is the case and download the updates at your earliest to prevent such errors.

Use these instructions to install PS4 updates:

1. Launch your console’s “Homescreen.”

   

2. Come to the bottom set of options and scroll to “Settings.”
3. In the menu, pick “System Software Update.”

   

4. If you have downloaded the update file and connected the USB to your console, proceed with “Next.”

   

5. Hit the “Update” button.

   

6. Let the updates install. The console will restart automatically once the update is done.

   

Create A New User Account

PlayStation might have blocked your user profile if you went against their terms and conditions. In addition, incorrect profile configurations may also hinder the service. Hence, we tried accessing Share Play with a new profile, which effectively resolved the issue.

Quickly create a new profile with these steps:

1. Come to the home screen and press your controller’s “PlayStation” button.
2. Navigate to “Power” and proceed with “Switch User” to sign out from your profile.

   

3. Select the “New User” option.

   

4. Pick “Create A User.”

   

5. “Accept” the terms.

   

6. Press “Next.”

   

7. Go down to “Create An Account.”

   

8. On the next screen, select “Sign Up Now.”

   

9. Enter your details.

   

10. Set a login email and a password and hit “Next.”

    

11. Now, choose your “Avatar.”

    

12. Follow the on-screen personalization settings to create a new user ID.
13. Once created, try accessing Share Play from the new “User Profile.”

Perform Initialization

The last resort is to fully initialize your PlayStation in Share Play is not working on PS4. It means restoring the settings to their factory default and erasing your personal game data and other files. Thus, it is important to create a backup.

Run a full initialization using the instructions below:

1. From the “Settings” screen, choose “Initialization.”

   

2. Select “Initialize PS4.”

   

3. It would be best if you went with “Full” initialization. Remember that proceeding with this option will erase the data on your console.

   

4. Hit the “Initialize” button at the bottom.

   

5. Wait for the “Deactivating” to complete.

   

6. Click “Yes” on the next screen.

   

7. The console should now restart.

   

8. The initialization will begin shortly, so be careful not to shut down your PS4 the entire time.

   

Contact PlayStation Support

If none of the solutions mentioned above fixed your issue, and you are still stuck with the problem, it would be best to contact PlayStation Support. Explain the ongoing trouble to the support assistant and see if they have any personalized assistance for you.

Final Words

These are all the tried and tested fixes our team applied when Share Play was not working for us on PS4. Remember to create a data backup on the cloud or an external storage device before initializing your PS4.

Abdul Hadi

[How To’s & Guides Editor]

Haddi has been in the Gaming and tech Space for over 10 Years Now; he has worked on notable websites like eXputer, Gamepur, Gear Siege, Gearnuke, and plenty more. He is an expert at Games & PC Hardware; you can expect him to solve any problem. People often joke, that if there is any problem anyone can solve, Haddi can solve it faster. Currently, Haddi writes and manages a Team of Experts at Tech4Gamers.

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