Sony plans PS4 streaming to Mac & PC with Remote Play app
Sony Computer Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida on Friday said his company intends to release an official Remote Play title that will allow users to stream games from their PlayStation 4 to a Mac or PC.
The Twitter announcement came as an apparent response to a streaming solution for Windows machines created by indie developer Twisted.
Dubbed Remote Play by Sony, game streaming features let users play their favorite titles on a remote computing device connected via a local Internet connection. Microsoft debuted an identical service on Xbox One, allowing users to sling games to a PC running Windows 10.
Currently, the official PS4 Remote Play app is limited to the PlayStation Vita portable game system and newer Sony Xperia devices. For compatible smartphones and tablets, Sony markets a PS4 DualShock 4 controller mount, enabling finer controls than virtual nubs and buttons.
While Yoshida failed to offer details on the upcoming Remote Play version for Mac and PC, it can be assumed that Sony is looking to bake in DualShock 4 compatibility, as many PS4 games require a full assortment of analog stick, face button, shoulder button and, in some cases, touchpad controls for proper user interaction.
Both Sony and Microsoft have been somewhat open to integrating smartphone and tablet devices into their gaming platform ecosystems. When Sony announced the PS4 in 2013, for example, the company revealed an accompanying iOS app offering limited second screen capabilities for iPhone and iPad. Microsoft did the same with the Xbox One SmartGlass app.
The Twitter announcement came as an apparent response to a streaming solution for Windows machines created by indie developer Twisted.
Dubbed Remote Play by Sony, game streaming features let users play their favorite titles on a remote computing device connected via a local Internet connection. Microsoft debuted an identical service on Xbox One, allowing users to sling games to a PC running Windows 10.
Currently, the official PS4 Remote Play app is limited to the PlayStation Vita portable game system and newer Sony Xperia devices. For compatible smartphones and tablets, Sony markets a PS4 DualShock 4 controller mount, enabling finer controls than virtual nubs and buttons.
While Yoshida failed to offer details on the upcoming Remote Play version for Mac and PC, it can be assumed that Sony is looking to bake in DualShock 4 compatibility, as many PS4 games require a full assortment of analog stick, face button, shoulder button and, in some cases, touchpad controls for proper user interaction.
Both Sony and Microsoft have been somewhat open to integrating smartphone and tablet devices into their gaming platform ecosystems. When Sony announced the PS4 in 2013, for example, the company revealed an accompanying iOS app offering limited second screen capabilities for iPhone and iPad. Microsoft did the same with the Xbox One SmartGlass app.
Comments
Not mentioned here is that Sony's already sold through over thirty million PS4's in the two years since launch. The only console that's outdone that pace is the Wii, which was both significantly cheaper and a cultural abberation.
Don't see the point, why not just attach it to a TV?
What if another family member is watching TV in the living room and you feel like playing a game? You could unplug the whole console and reconnect it in another room or simply use a nice feature like this a stream it to a PC. Simple, easy, and everyone's happy.
Don't see the point, why not just attach it to a TV?
Can offer substantially better screen resolution pushing to an iOS device than to a TV.
Or, play it away from home, which is a common use for people who use the Vita for Remote Play now.
Can offer substantially better screen resolution pushing to an iOS device than to a TV.
I can't imagine the increase in resolution of a Mac or Windows PC (the rumour isn't about iOS) would be exploited. The PS4 is just going to stream the visuals at 1080p.
Sony isn't looking to have this work with iOS. Its trying to stream to PC or MAC. Similar a to what XBOX One can do, I expect this to be limited to working on the same network. Don't see it as a remote play feature for out of the house.
Sometimes their mother gets mad at them and takes
The tv out of the basement.
Except you can already stream over the Internet to a Vita offsite provided the connections on each end are good enough.
Also, Xbox and Mac (the computer brand) aren't acronyms.
Can offer substantially better screen resolution pushing to an iOS device than to a TV.
Steaming to a Mac. A Mac is not an iOS device. Also, the PS4 will only output 1080P to any device.
This article isn't about Vita so remote play with that device has no bearing on this article. This is steaming to PC or Mac (better?) And, like XBO, this is referring to steaming to another device in the home. I'm well aware of Vita remote play as I own both a Vita and PS4.
PS4 is only doing good because the other consoles are doing so bad.
There's ZERO innovation from Sony's game division. Literally everything they've made is a response to another console's features.
They're only allowing remote PC play because Microsoft is doing it.
PS4 is only doing good because the other consoles are doing so bad.
There's ZERO innovation from Sony's game division. Literally everything they've made is a response to another console's features.
They're only allowing remote PC play because Microsoft is doing it.
So, even just making and selling more units of a better console than the competition is "zero" innovation? Sounds like MS needs to spend more time "innovating" Xbox into a better system if they want to compete head to head with Sony.
In the real world, there are few penalties for the leading vendor following the runner-up with features, as long as those features are equals to or better implemented. The scoreboard is sales and profits, especially repeat sales.
-Lemuel Ebojo
It is like saying that Apple and other PC manufacturers are showing zero innovation. We get more performance, higher screen resolution... but all those are mere improvements.
Consoles are, after all, limited by their definition – they are consumer, mainstream, budget-limited mass-market products. They are not supposed to be revolutionary. Still… beside (obvious) performance boost from previous generation, there are new concepts like SharePlay, Vita RemotePlay, constant gameplay recording in the background, partial install game availability (where you can start playing game that is only a few % installed)… improvements and new features in controller and camera… games streaming… and with incoming Playstation VR and PS2 emulation… I think Sony has offered/is offering enough within limits of category. Rest is, of course, down to devs to come with new game designs and mechanics…
I don’t see that Sony is copying Microsoft. RemotePlay to Vita exists for some time, expanding it to other platforms seems like natural evolution of technology. PS2 backward compatibility might be a direct answer to X1’s X360 compatibility, there’s that… but beside that, PS4 has more unique gaming features (SharePlay, controller gyros, touchpad, incoming VR helmet) while X1 is focused on CableTV integration and multimedia with it’s pass-through HDMI, Hololens which is quite a different concept from VR – something that Sony is not really chasing. For both of them being game consoles, I think they actually differentiate in more than a few ways.
I hate this line of thinking. It's the same line of thinking that makes the Chromecast seem like an alternative to a computer.
Introducing additional latency for the convenience of playing a game in another room is not really an improvement. You know what would be? Creating a PS store extension to Steam for the PC/Mac and creating drivers for the PS4 controller. That would encourage people to buy the game once on Steam or PS store and play it on whichever device is available.
Yes cause I'm sure Sony would love you buy the games off steam and not having to spend money on their consoles. From a business standpoint, that is a horrible idea.