PS5 remote play app unexpectedly arrives on PS4, suggesting players will be able to get next-gen games on their current console

Andrew Griffin
Monday 09 November 2020 05:10 EST
Comments
(Sony)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A “PS5 remote play” app is starting to appear on people’s PlayStation 4s, suggesting that the console is getting a new and seemingly unannounced feature.

Based on the prompts that appear in the app, the remote play feature seems to allow people to use their PS4 to connect to their new PS5, and play next-generation games on their older consoles.

Sony has long offered the ability to remotely play a PS4 on a phone or tablet. It has confirmed that same feature will come to the PlayStation 5.

But it had not indicated that it would also add the same feature to its PlayStation consoles. Sony does not appear to have officially announced either the feature or the new app.

Instead, it simply began to arrive on consoles around the world on the morning of 9 November, seemingly in an automatic software update.

When it does arrive, it will appear on the console’s home screen alongside the usual apps and games.

The update is presumably intended to allow the PlayStation 4 to still be used after players get hold of the next-generation consoles, later this month. If the arrival of a new console meant moving the PS4 out of the living room and into the bedroom, for instance, it will still be able to play games that are only available on the PS5.

The PlayStation 4 will still have some limitations when streaming content from their new console. Users can choose to stream content in 540p, 720p and 1080p; the PlayStation 5 can output up to 8K video.

The PlayStation 5 will arrive in countries including the US and Japan on 12 November. It will then be available in the rest of the world, including the UK, on 19 November.

Actually getting hold of them appears to be very difficult, however. Sony has been forced to apologise for the problems with reserving the consoles, and any pre-orders that do become available sell out almost instantly.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in