Sony plans to add cloud streaming capabilities for PS5 games to PlayStation Plus Premium service

In a bid to rival Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, Sony intends, in the forthcoming weeks, to grant members of its PlayStation Plus Premium service the privilege to play select PlayStation 5 games directly via cloud streaming, negating the need for prior downloads.

This service is set to feature hundreds of PlayStation 5 titles, including esteemed games like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, Mortal Kombat 11, and Saints Row IV. Additionally, members can sample content from games such as Hogwarts Legacy, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Calisto Protocol.

Moreover, users can stream games they’ve already purchased, as well as select complimentary titles, inclusive of “Resident Evil 4,” “Dead Island 2,” “Genshin Impact,” and “Fortnite,” among others.

In terms of streaming capabilities, there’s an option for a 4K resolution, backed by a stable 60fps display. The service supports both SDR and HDR visual effects. However, a minimum internet bandwidth of 38Mbps is a prerequisite. For audio output, it offers either 5.1 or 7.1 channels and includes Sony’s proprietary Tempest 3D Audiotech. Players can also capture screenshots and record up to three minutes of gameplay footage during streaming sessions.

For the time being, this service is exclusive to PlayStation 5. Sony may, in the future, extend this offering to other devices, like the previously unveiled handheld device, the PlayStation Portal. As of now, it hasn’t been opened to smartphones or tablets.

The streaming capability for the PlayStation Plus Premium service is slated for release on October 17th in Japan, followed by an October 23rd launch in Europe, and it’s anticipated to reach North American audiences by October 30th.

In a preceding move, Sony transitioned its Bravia Core service, initially available on BRAVIA-branded TVs and Xperia phones, to the PlayStation platform under the name Sony Pictures Core. This transition enables subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium and PlayStation Plus Deluxe to access a catalog of 100 films under Sony Pictures without incurring additional charges.