Buzz
A groundbreaking feature in contemporary gaming is the ability to stream gameplay directly to your smartphone, whether from cloud services, home consoles, or a PC. This functionality turns your phone into a versatile handheld device, akin to the Nintendo Switch, capable of accessing games from multiple systems.
While we’ve explored official streaming apps from Sony, Microsoft, and Steam, PlayStation enthusiasts should take note of PSPlay, a third-party Android app that outperforms Sony’s official PS Remote Play in several aspects.
PSPlay functions similarly to Sony’s PS Remote Play app but offers quicker setup, enhanced reliability, and additional features that are absent in the official app.
One drawback: PSPlay is priced at $4 on Google Play, whereas Sony’s PS Remote Play is free. While some may hesitate to pay for a service Sony provides at no cost, PSPlay’s advanced functionalities justify the expense.
I opted for PSPlay after realizing PS Remote Play lacks support for third-party controllers, which are my go-to for Android gaming. While both apps are compatible with DualShock 4 and DualSense, PSPlay extends support to third-party devices like the Razer Kishi.
(Both apps include touch controls, but let’s be honest—nobody enjoys struggling with clunky on-screen buttons.)
Don’t misunderstand—I adore the DualSense, but I believe controller setups like the Razer Kishi are more practical for handheld gaming, and PSPlay is the sole solution for using them with PS4 and PS5 games.
PSPlay establishes a connection with your PS4 or PS5 significantly faster than the official PS Remote Play app. While it can take up to three minutes for my PS5 to detect my phone via PS Remote Play, PSPlay achieves this in mere seconds.
PSPlay also supports gameplay over a mobile data connection, unlike Remote Play, which is limited to wifi. This allows PSPlay to stream games from your home console to your phone while you’re on the move, whereas PS Remote Play restricts you to the same wifi network.
Honestly, I haven’t observed any variation in latency or streaming performance between PSPlay and PS Remote Play when using Wi-Fi, which is my primary mode of play. Both applications perform exceptionally well with a robust Wi-Fi connection, although a slight input lag might occur if the connection weakens. That said, the input delay becomes more pronounced when using PSPlay on a mobile network. Unless you’re among the lucky few with reliable 5G access, sticking to Wi-Fi is advisable. Nevertheless, PSPlay’s mobile play feature still gives it a slight advantage over PS Remote Play.
