While Sony has supported streaming of some of its PlayStation game library from a cloud server since 2014, it"s limited that support to games made for its previous console generations. Today, Sony announced it has begun internal testing for streaming games from the cloud from its PlayStation 5 library for the first time.
In a post on the official PlayStation blog, Sony states:
We’re currently testing cloud streaming for supported PS5 games – this includes PS5 titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Game Trials, as well as supported digital PS5 titles that players own. When this feature launches, cloud game streaming for supported PS5 titles will be available for use directly on your PS5 console. That means as a Premium member, it’ll be easier to jump into your favorite games without downloading them first onto your PS5 console.
Sony added that PS5 cloud gaming testing is "in the early stages right now." Right now there"s no word on when this feature will be available to the public. When it does go live, it will be available for people who have a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. Those gamers can stream over 800 PS4, PS3 and older games on a PS5 and also on the Windows PC platform right now.
Even though Sony has offered game cloud streaming services for nearly a decade, the company"s CEO Kenichiro Yoshida admitted just a few weeks ago that the technology is still "very tricky". He cited a high amount of latency when playing cloud games as a concern.
While cloud gaming may still be tricky, Sony is planning to offer PS5 fans a way to play their games remotely away from their TV on their home network. During its PlayStation Showcase event in May, it revealed an upcoming product with the code name "Project Q". It will basically be a version of Sony"s DualSense controller with a big screen in the middle that will connect to the owner"s PS5 console so they can play their library of games on that device. It"s scheduled for a launch sometime late in 2023.