Some people may or may not know, but all PS4 games can be played on a computer. The features is called “Remote Play” and it is available in the PS4 settings. However, there are a few things you must do in order to get it to work, and more importantly, have it work well.
What is Remote Play?
Remote Play basically means playing your PlayStation 4 games on a computer. The computer can be either a PC or a Mac. Once setup, the PS4 screen is mirrored on your computer screen so you can see what is happening. You do not have to even touch your PS4 to do this, also.
Reasons to Play PS4 on a Computer
You may be thinking “why would I want to play PS4 games on a computer when I could just play them on the PS4 itself?” This is a good question and the answer depends on your situation. However, there are some great reasons to play PS4 on a PC, or Mac over playing them on the PS4 itself.
- Someone is using the TV. Most houses have other people in them and a lot of the time you will not have access to the TV. If you use Remote Play you can still play your video games on a computer while the other person uses the TV. No arguments, or fighting, everyone gets their own way.
- Multiplayer games. With Remote Play you can have one person playing on the PS4, and the other person playing on a computer.
- Laziness. Yes, the main reason that no one talks about. You are just too lazy to go to wherever your PS4 is located, so you decide to just play on a closer machine (I do not judge).
What you will need for Remote Play
You do not need much to get this to work, but you must meet the minimum requirements. Like with anything else, however, it will work better if your setup is much better than the lowest recommendations.
- PC or Mac
- PlayStation 4 (software of at least 3.50)
- DualShock 4 Controller
- USB Cable
- PSN Account
- Internet Access with ideally around 5Mbps+ download speeds minimum
- Microphone (optional). If your computer has a mic you can use it to talk and your voice will travel through the PS4 to talk to people online
You will also need a medium strength computer.
PC
- Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
- Intel Core i5-560M Processor 2.67GHz or faster
- At least 100 MB of available storage
- 2 GB or more of RAM
- USB Port
Mac
- OS X Yosemite or OS X El Capitan
- Intel Core i5-520M Processor 2.40GHz or faster
- At least 40 MB of available storage
- 2 GB or more of RAM
- USB Port
How to Setup Remote Play
On PS4
Setting it up is very easy and only takes a few minutes. All you have to do is tun it on in the settings and download special software to your computer.
- Go to the settings and select Settings>Remote Play Connection Settings and click the box to enable it.
- Next, just go to Settings>PlayStation Network/Account Management>Activate as your Primary PS4, and again, check the box to activate it.
- Final step on the PS4 is to go to again go to Settings>Power Save Settings> Set Features Available in Rest Mode, and check that box.
Once these three simple boxes are checked you can go to your computer.
On Computer
Just download the Remote Play program and prepare to install. The link will allow you to download software for either a Windows PC, or Apple Mac depending on what system you are using. Once the program is downloaded just click on it and follow the install instructions.
Using Remote Play
To actually get everything to work is super simple, but MUST be exactly as shown.
- Have the PS4 turned (Can be on Power Savings Mode)
- Plug in a PS4 controller to your computer with USB
- Start the Remote Play computer program
If you set up the PS4 correctly it should just start working. However, it may ask you to sign in to your PlayStation Network account. Just sign in using whatever the account you’re using on the PS4. It will only ask you to sign in if you didn’t set your PS4 as the primary PS4.
Remote Play with PS4 Pro
You can use a PS4 Pro with Remote Play, however, certain features will be disabled. Due to the high bandwidth demand 4K streaming is not possible. You can still stream 1080p with a PS4 Pro if you have a good connection.
To stream at the full 1080p (30fps) you must have a great connection. You MUST have at least 15Mbps download or upload speeds. However, to make sure things run smoothly the PS4 Pro will decide whether or not it has a good enough connection to run at full HD. It may drop down if it feels it can’t maintain a good signal.
Limitations of Remote Play
For the most part, it is basically streaming your PS4 to your computer. I have used it many times and it works great. I do suggest only bothering to use this if you have a good internet/WIFI connection as you may have lag otherwise. Also, if you are playing something online against other people and need to have perfect reflexes this may not be for you. If your connection is good you won’t have lag, but it will technically be a tiny bit behind. Nothing noticeable when playing games, but that microsecond difference could be the difference between winning and losing in an online match.
Finally, PS4 Pro systems can stream at a max of 1080p, but regular PS4’s are limited to 720p by default.
