PS5 Cloud Game Streaming Arrives This Month For Some PS Plus Subscribers
Sony is finally ready to release its cloud-based game streaming facility for PlayStation 5 games on the PlayStation 5 console. Testing began in June this year, but it appears that Sony is taking a cautious approach to avoid stressing its servers. In the initial phase, the PlayStation 5 game streaming's rollout will kick off in Japan on October 17, expand to Europe on October 23, and make its way to the U.S. audience on October 30.
Game streaming will be available at 4K, 1440p, 1080p, and 720p resolutions in both SDR and HDR visual formats, but you'll need an internet connection with a minimum 5mbps bandwidth. However, if you're eyeing streaming games at 4K, the speeds should be higher than 38 Mbps. You should also be a paying subscriber of the PlayStation Premium Plus tier, which costs $17.99 per month or $119.99 for the annual tier.
The biggest advantage of cloud streaming is that you don't have to download heavy game files locally to enjoy them, which saves both time and money on storage expansion. Sony has been offering PlayStation 4 and 3 streaming for a while now. Still, it seems that if you've got a PlayStation 5 lying around, the titles available at your disposal will be somewhat limited in the initial days.
Let's hope it adds more titles soon
Sony says that aside from games you already own, the only other titles available for streaming include "PS5 digital titles within the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Game Trials." Sony is selling its latest service on top of marquee names like "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales," "Horizon Forbidden West," "Ghost of Tsushima," "Mortal Kombat 11," and "Saints Row IV" which will be ready for cloud-based game streaming on your PlayStation 5. The list of compatible games will also add familiar oldies like "Resident Evil 4," "Dead Island 2," "Genshin Impact," "Fall Guys," and "Fortnite."
Aside from the flexibility offered by server-side streaming, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can make in-game purchases and download additional content down the road, just like regular games. Streaming-ready titles will also bundle support for 5.1 and 7.1 channel audio for a wider, more immersive hearing landscape.
Screen capture and clip sharing on Discord will also be a part of the parcel. But do keep in mind that all titles won't be universally available for streaming in all regions, irrespective of whether you are a subscriber or not. You can check the entire list of countries where PlayStation 5 game streaming will be available here. Interestingly, Sony won't say how the PlayStation Portal handheld will fit into the PlayStation 5 game streaming equation.