Sony has unveiled a significant development for PlayStation Plus Premium members—a feature that will allow them to stream PS5 games, mirroring the service that has been available for PS3 and PS4 games.
The highly-anticipated streaming service is set to launch in a staggered manner, with Japan taking the lead on October 17, followed by supported European countries on October 23, and finally North America on October 30.
However, it’s important to note that not all PS5 games will be accessible through this service, but a substantial selection will be included. Hideaki Nishino, Sony’s platform experience executive, revealed in a blog post that streaming will be available for “supported PS5 digital titles within the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Game Trials, as well as supported titles in the PS5 game library that PlayStation Plus Premium members own.”
This expansive library encompasses hundreds of titles, including well-known games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Forbidden West, and Mortal Kombat 11. Furthermore, users will have the option to stream game trials for select titles, including The Calisto Protocol, Hogwarts Legacy, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
A notable change in policy is that Sony will allow users to stream certain games they’ve purchased outside of the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, exemplified by games like Resident Evil 4 and Genshin Impact. However, this won’t apply to all PS5 games.
The streaming service will support resolutions ranging from 4K to 720p and framerates up to 60 fps. Additionally, it will include HDR, although the absence of 120 fps, available in some PS5 games’ performance modes, is noteworthy. In terms of audio, it will offer 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, along with Tempest Audiotech.
One aspect to keep in mind is that Sony has initially limited PS5 cloud streaming to PS5 consoles, possibly indicating an effort to catch up with Microsoft’s game-streaming offerings.
Furthermore, the PS5 game streaming feature is exclusive to the PlayStation Plus Premium membership, which is the most expensive tier available from Sony, costing $160 annually.
This announcement precedes the planned launch of PlayStation Portal, a streaming-exclusive handheld, by a few weeks. However, the handheld will solely support remote play from an existing PS5 console and will not be able to independently stream games from the cloud.
