2nd PS4 at home - Confused re best way to set up?

Mango Joe

Hi All,

Bought our 2nd PS4 at home there at the weekend - Confused re best way to set it up?

2nd system was bought basically as there was constant queues for a go (4 kids!) & I wasn't even getting on until the oldest was finally gone to bed!

Previously the kids just had standalone User profiles with no PSN attachment.

Is the correct thing to do to create further PSN user profiles for each child? Should these be 'under' my own main one (Sorry not sure of terminology/best practice here - please correct me!) I just want to set this up right - They can then sign in on each console and be automatically signed out on the other is it?

I'd ideally like to age-profile the profiles so they are restricted in what they can play (will be monitored anyway of course but still, want to do it correctly on system too)

Finally I've always only bought physical copies of games on disc so I could share/swap/sell/etc - Is this now an advantage or disadvantage? From what I've read I might be able to use games that have been downloaded more easily on both systems?

At the moment I have just installed all the child appropriate games on one system & the older age group games on mine - But there will be a lot of traffic between both due to demand. Is there a better way of doing this? Does it matter what console is designated as primary or secondary in our setup?

Gimme instructions please & thanks in advance

The Specialist

Mango Joe wrote: »

Hi All,

Bought our 2nd PS4 at home there at the weekend - Confused re best way to set it up?

2nd system was bought basically as there was constant queues for a go (4 kids!) & I wasn't even getting on until the oldest was finally gone to bed!

Previously the kids just had standalone User profiles with no PSN attachment.

Is the correct thing to do to create further PSN user profiles for each child? Should these be 'under' my own main one (Sorry not sure of terminology/best practice here - please correct me!) I just want to set this up right - They can then sign in on each console and be automatically signed out on the other is it?

I'd ideally like to age-profile the profiles so they are restricted in what they can play (will be monitored anyway of course but still, want to do it correctly on system too)

Finally I've always only bought physical copies of games on disc so I could share/swap/sell/etc - Is this now an advantage or disadvantage? From what I've read I might be able to use games that have been downloaded more easily on both systems?

At the moment I have just installed all the child appropriate games on one system & the older age group games on mine - But there will be a lot of traffic between both due to demand. Is there a better way of doing this? Does it matter what console is designated as primary or secondary in our setup?

Gimme instructions please & thanks in advance

I can't help you much with the profiles as I haven't done it before - you can create "child" profiles with parental restrictions under your main PS plus account afaik.

In terms of sharing games, yes you can do this but only where the game has been purchased from the PS store (it won't work with disc). If you have games you would like the kids to have access to, you will need to set the PS4 they play on the most as your primary console. This allows all user accounts on that PS4 to play any games from your library that you choose to install. Note that this won't work on the "non" primary console as you will only be able to play them while signed in to your profile (other accounts on the system will be locked out of those games).

Varik

PSN:

Unless you go out of your way and lie when setting up the PSN account (or set up multiple with your own details), any under 18 account is automatically a sub account. You'll need to assign a main account to it; your existing one. This allows all the parental control you want up to when the child is 18 (when the account becomes a full account), in the mean time you can set it whatever way you want.

You can set the email for each account to whatever, if it's the child own email you still get everything on you main accounts email anyway or you can use the dot trick.

So if your PSN account is assigned to MangoJoe@gmail.com

You can set
child 1 account to Mango.Joe@gmail.com
child 2 account to M.angoJoe@gmail.com
child 3 account to M.ango.Joe@gmail.com

There's a insane amount of parental control available to a parent who bother, you can also set pass-codes to get onto each account so a child doesn't just load their elder siblings profile or yours to bypass anything.

Games:

Physical games can be played by one person on either of your PS4s. If 2 of the kids want to play something (2 different games or 2 copies of a game) they can take their game to a separate PS4 and play.

The benefit and limitation of digital games is that they can be played by anyone's account on the primary system (you set one PS4 as primary for a PSN account) and by the original purchasing account on any PS4 (with internet). So if you buy Fifa on your PSN account, which has the main room PS4 set as primary then the kids can play it on that PS4 with their accounts while you play on your PS4 with your account after only buying the game once. The problem here is that they can't play it at all on your PS4 as only your account can play it on that system as the main room PS4 is set as it's primary system.

As from the sound of it you won't just be the only one using this new PS4 a combination of digital and physical games would be best. Fifa might be better digitally, but some game for the youngest child might be better physical as they'll likely get shifted off the PS4 when someone older wants to play and be asking daddy can they use your PS4.

Last thing to note is PlayStation plus and online play. The same rules apply, so the main PS4 which you set as your primary PS4 will share your PlayStation plus account to all on that system but your account will be the only one able to go online on the other PlayStation fully. Certain online features can be used without plus: pretty much everything that isn't playing normal not free 2 play games online.