How to Play PS4 & PS5 Games on your Phone or Tablet

You can play your favorite PlayStation 5 or 4 games on your mobile device with the PS Remote Play app,. The app streams the action from your console to your phone or tablet, effectively turning your mobile device into a wireless screen for your PlayStation console.

Also read: Best iOS and Android Games With Controller Support

What Does PS Remote Play Do

The Remote Play app (Android | iOS) allows users to play games, navigate the console home screen and browse the console’s menus, all from your mobile device. You can start playing on your TV and later fire up the app on your mobile device to resume playing from the point you left off. Additionally, you can turn on your PlayStation console and start playing directly from the Remote Play app – no television necessary.

Furthermore, PS Remote Play is really remote in the sense that your mobile device and console do not have to be on the same network. You can play your PS4 or PS5 anywhere while using a mobile data connection.

Remote Play Requirements

The PS Remote Play feature is available on all PS4 and PS5 consoles. All you need is the following:

• Your PS5 or PS4 connected to a broadband network – The Remote Play app requires a minimum broadband Internet connection of 5Mbps. Do note that Sony recommends a high-speed connection of at least 15Mbps for a smoother experience. To get the best possible performance, we recommend connecting your PS5 to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, if possible.
• A compatible iOS (iOS 13 or later) or Android (Android 7 or later) mobile device – The ability to connect your DualShock 4 or DualSense controller to your mobile device will depend on the version of Android or iOS your device is running. For more information, see the “Remote Play Controls on Mobile Device” section below.
• The free PS Remote Play app installed on the mobile device connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data connection – Be aware that if you choose to connect via mobile data, this will use your mobile data allowance.
• A DualShock 4 or DualSense wireless controller – The PS Remote Play app does feature on-screen controls, so technically, controllers aren’t necessary. That being said, given the high level of precision required for most games, we highly recommend using a controller.
• A compatible PS4 or PS5 game – For example, titles that require PlayStation VR or peripherals like the the PlayStation Camera are not supported by the Remote Play feature.

Also read: How to Check for Controller Deadzones in Windows

Install Remote Play on Your Mobile Device

To start playing your PS5 or PS4 on your mobile device, you’ll need to download the PS Remote Play app to your respective device(s). If you’re using an iOS device running iOS 13 or later, head to the Apple App Store. Alternatively, if you have an Android device running Android 7 or later, head to the Google Play Store. Once the app is installed, ensure that you allow the necessary permissions.

Prepare PlayStation 4 for Remote Play

Remote Play is turned off by default on the PlayStation 4 console. Therefore, before you can start streaming gameplay to your mobile device, you’ll need to enable the feature.

1. Turn on your PS4, and from the home screen, select “Settings.”

2. Scroll down to “Remote Play Connection Settings” and turn on “Enable Remote Play.”

3. Make sure that your PS4 console is activated as your primary console. Chances are you already did this during the initial setup of your PS4, but in case you inadvertently skipped it or have more than one console, it’s a good idea to double-check. From the Home Screen, navigate to “Settings -> Account Management.”

4. Scroll down to “Activate as your Primary PS4” and select “Activate.” This tells Sony that this particular console will serve as the streaming host when a mobile device logs in to the Remote Play app using the same PlayStation Network account.

5. Back out to the main Settings menu and select “Power Save Settings.”

6. Select “Set Features Available in Rest Mode.”

7. Enable two settings by ticking their corresponding boxes: “Stay Connected to the Internet” and “Enable Turning on PS4 from Network.” This will enable your mobile device to wake up your console remotely so that you can begin streaming.

Note: for Remote Play to work, you must put your console into “Rest mode” by pressing on the Power button from the function screen and selecting “Enter Rest Mode.” Shutting down the console completely or turning it off at the wall will prevent the Remote Play app on your mobile device from waking the console.

Also read: How to Use External Game Controllers with Steam Games

Prepare PlayStation 5 for Remote Play

The method for prepping your PS5 console for Remote Play is nearly identical to how you set up a PS4 console. However, there are some slight differences in the location of the relevant options.

1. Configure the power options of your PS5. Open the Settings menu and select “System.”
2. From there, select “Power Saving,” then “Features Available in Rest Mode.” On this screen, flick the toggle switches to the on position for “Stay Connected to the Internet” and “Enable Turning on PS5 from Network.”

3. To “Enable Remote Play” on your PS5, head to the Settings menu and select “System.”
4. Choose “Remote Play” and turn “Enable Remote Play” on. When you fire up the Remote Play app on your mobile device, you should now see your PS5 console.

Start Remote Play on Your Mobile Device

1. With your PlayStation console in Rest Mode, launch the PS Remote Play app on your mobile device to get started.
2. Sign in with the same account credentials you use on your PlayStation console. On the next screen, select whichever console you are trying to connect to. If you want to connect to your PS5, select the PS5 icon on the screen. Alternatively, if you want to connect to a PS4, select the PS4 icon.

3. The Remote Play app will scan for the PlayStation console you wish to connect to. Once it connects, you should see your PlayStation console’s home screen on your mobile device.

If you wish to use a mobile data connection to connect your device to your PlayStation console, you’ll need to tweak some settings.

1. After launching the PS Remote Play app, tap on the cog icon icon to pull up the settings menu.

2. From here, tap on “Mobile Data” and enable “Use Mobile Data.” You’ll still be able to connect to your PlayStation console, even if you aren’t on the same local network. However, be aware that you will consume your mobile data allotment when using this connection method.

Remote Play Controls on Mobile Device

If you are using an iOS device, such as an iPad or iPhone, running iOS 13 or later, it will allow you to play via the on-screen controls or the Playstation 4’s DualShock 4 wireless controller via Bluetooth. We can confirm that a DualShock 4 controller will work with PS5 games when using the Remote Play app.

Android smartphones and tablets running Android 7 or later can play games via Remote Play using the (rather clunky) on-screen controls. Devices running Android 10 or higher can connect a PS4 DualShock 4 wireless controller via Bluetooth. Finally, if you have a device running Android 12 or later, the PS5’s DualSense controller will connect via Bluetooth.

Also read: How to Connect a PS4/PS5 Controller to Your Android Phone

Quit Remote Play

1. When you want to end your gaming session, tap on the screen while using the Remote Play app.
2. At the bottom right of the screen tap on the three dots, aka the Options button.

3. Select the cog icon.

4. On the following screen, tap the Disconnect icon.

5. A message will pop up on the screen notifying you that the Remote Play session will end.
6. To confirm and disconnect your mobile device from your console, tap the checkbox next to the “Put the connected console in Rest Mode” option.
7. Tap “OK,” Your Remote Play session will end, and your mobile device will return to the home screen.

Also read: 7 of the Best Third-Party Xbox One Controllers

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is PS Remote Play free?

Yes! The PS Remote Play feature is available on all PS4 and PS5 consoles, and the Remote Play app is free to download on compatible Android and iOS devices. The only requirement is that you have a PlayStation Network account, as this is how your mobile device and your console will see and talk to one another. However, an active PlayStation Plus account is not required to use the Remote Play feature.

2. What if the Remote Play app won’t connect to my console?

Provided everything was set up properly, the Remote Play app should connect to your console automatically. However, there are hiccups that can occur. If you’re having trouble getting your mobile device to connect to your console, there are a few things you can try.

First, try connecting your mobile device and your PlayStation console when they are on the same network. If you’re still having difficulty, try connecting manually. The process for doing this on a PS4 differs slightly to that of PS5.

If you’re on a PS4, go to the console’s “Settings -> Remote Play Connection Settings,” Select “Add Device.”

Upon doing this, you’ll see a numeric code that expires in 300 seconds. Switch to your mobile device and launch the Remote Play app. Tap on the cog icon to access “Settings -> Change PS4” and switch it to “Connect To,” then tap “Register Manually.” On the next screen you’ll need to enter the numeric code generated by your console to connect your mobile device to your PS4 console.

On a PS5 you’ll want to navigate to “Settings -> System -> Remote Play.” Select the “Link Device” option. What will follow is similar to what we detailed above when manually connecting a mobile device with a PS4 console.

3. How do I improve Remote Play performance?

Remote Play is great in theory, but your gaming experience can sour quickly when you encounter poor performance. Because your PlayStation console is streaming a game over the Internet to your mobile device, and your mobile device is then beaming your inputs back to the console, there is the possibility of latency. To alleviate this, there are a few things you can do.

First, hardwire your PlayStation console to the Internet via an Ethernet cable. This will provide a faster and more stable connection. If hardwiring your console is impossible, use a 5GHz Wi-Fi network. The 5GHz band boasts significantly faster speeds when compared to the older 2.4GHz band.

If you’re still experiencing less than optimal performance, you can tweak the video resolution to improve performance. Launch the PS Remote Play app, and tap on the cog icon to bring up the Settings menu. Select “Video Quality for Remote Play.”

By default, both PS4 and PS5 stream in 1080p; however, you can bump it down to Standard (576p) or Low (360p). In addition, you can change the Frame Rate in the same menu. Bump it down to Standard to decrease the bandwidth needed to stream the game smoothly, resulting in better performance.

Image credit: PlayStation