Sony is launching cloud streaming for the PS5 console, a new feature available to PS Plus Premium – the highest-tier – members only. It will let players stream select Game Catalog titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, and more without having to download them or own them.
The service will work with the PS5’s internal storage or an external hard drive, and users can play up to three games simultaneously over a home Wi-Fi connection. They can also capture screenshots or record up to three minutes of video gameplay that will be saved locally on their device. The new service will be launched this month, starting October 17 in Japan, October 23 in Europe, and October 30 in North America.
This is just the latest addition to a PlayStation Plus subscription revamped recently to include a selection of monthly free games, a game-themed store, and more. It comes just a few months after the subscription price was increased significantly, increasing pressure on the company to prove its services are worth the cost.
Unlike existing PlayStation 3 and PS4 online gaming, the PS5 will offer cloud streaming in native 4K resolution (provided your internet connection can handle it). Users can stream games at a max frame rate of 60 FPS, supporting both SDR and HDR output and audio capabilities like 5.1 and 7.1, along with Tempest 3D audio technology. The service will support a variety of resolutions, including 4K, 1440p, and 1080p at 60 FPS, as well as 720p with SDR output.
The initial list of available games for PS5 cloud streaming is slim, but Sony is promising “hundreds’ of PlayStation 5 games down the line. The initial launch will include top PS5 hits from the Game Catalog and digital games like Resident Evil 4, Genshin Impact, and Fortnite that subscribers might already own. Timed game trials for titles like Hogwarts Legacy and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will also be accessible through the service.
The first titles will be available for streaming on October 17 in Japan, October 23 in Western Europe, and October 30 in North America. The feature will eventually expand to all territories where PS Plus Premium is available, which currently includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia.
This is the first of several significant features that will be coming to the PlayStation Plus service shortly, including an updated console app and more social features for the platform. In a blog post, the company says it will continue to push out new content and services over the next few years. This will help make the platform more appealing for those who may not have a high-end PC and want to use it to get into online gaming.