Update: It looks like testing for PlayStation’s new PS5 game streaming feature is kicking off now for select PlayStation Plus Premium members, with users receiving invites and sharing their experiences over on ResetEra.
According to user ArashiGames, the feature supports both cloud saves and resolutions up to 4K, the latter of which is a pretty big deal and point-of-difference for Sony’s service if it works well. Sadly, with no access to PlayStation Plus Premium or any form of game streaming outside of Remote Play in Australia, this is one we won’t be able to try out for ourselves.
Games available on the service include God of War: Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Death Stranding, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Fortnite, Fall Guys, Destiny 2, Returnal, Demon’s Souls and Destruction All Stars — with trials available for both Resident Evil Village and Demon Slayer.
Anyone else get invited to try the new #PS5 game cloud streaming preview / beta?
Just got an email inviting me to download the latest beta system software but also to try the ability to stream PS5 games….#PlayStation pic.twitter.com/3KNDYpDXzW
— Big TeeJ Gaming (@Big__TeeJ) August 7, 2023
Alongside announcing the line-up of new games being added to the PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe catalogues, PlayStation has also revealed that it’s currently working on adding PS5 game streaming features to the PS5 console, giving owners a new way to instantly jump into their games.
The feature is in testing right now, and with no cloud gaming functionality for Australia PS5 owners right now it’s more than likely not going to become a reality for us when it launches, but PlayStation says it’ll have more to share on it in the future. The current plan is to offer cloud streaming for the PS5 games that are available through the PlayStation Plus catalogue as well as supported PS5 games that players own digitally, exclusively for PlayStation Plus Premium (the sort-of-equivalent to our Deluxe) subscribers.
When it does eventuate, it’ll be a great way for PS5 owners who want to try out a game from the PS Plus library to quickly jump in and see if they like it before committing to the download and storage required to play it natively. It’ll be especially helpful for the Game Trials offered through PlayStation Plus, allowing players to instantly boot up games like God of War Ragnarok and play for the allotted trial time before making a purchase and downloading the full title.
In the blog post announcing the move, PlayStation said, “We’re currently testing cloud streaming for supported PS5 games – this includes PS5 titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Game Trials, as well as supported digital PS5 titles that players own. When this feature launches, cloud game streaming for supported PS5 titles will be available for use directly on your PS5 console. That means as a Premium member, it’ll be easier to jump into your favourite games without downloading them first onto your PS5 console. Our goal is to add this as an additional benefit to PlayStation Plus Premium as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the value of PlayStation Plus.
“We think it’s important for Premium members to be able to enjoy as many games as possible via cloud streaming. As more games continue to launch on the PS5 console, we look forward to adding cloud streaming capability for PS5 titles in addition to the PS3, PS4 and classic titles that are already available for Premium members to stream. We’re in the early stages right now, and we can’t wait to share more details when we’re ready, including a launch time frame. Stay tuned!”
Again, although this is cool to see, we’ll not likely be able to take advantage in Australia – at least until PlayStation decides to finally announce bringing its cloud streaming services to our shores.
