Sony has reportedly begun rolling out public beta access for cloud gaming on the PS5. As per ResetEra user ArashiGames, chosen PS Plus Premium members will be able to stream select games at up to 4K resolution. While the company confirmed the addition of cloud streaming in June, it’s only now that we’re learning about the supported resolution. That said, it’s unclear whether the maximum resolution refers to the in-game graphical fidelity or the streaming resolution, but a screenshot suggests that available resolutions are entirely dependent on the player’s internet connection. The core idea is that you can play games from the cloud without actually owning or downloading any of them.
For now, beta testers can choose between four main resolutions — 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and the aforementioned 2160p (4K), with Arashi claiming that cloud gaming automatically syncs with your game saves and the progression picks up from where you left off. Regardless, images will get compressed into a haze when being processed and delivered at high speeds across the internet. So, in the larger picture, it shouldn’t make a big difference if Ultra HD cloud streaming refers to the in-game render quality or the resolution it’s being streamed at. This serves as another incentive for players to sign up for a PS Plus Premium/ Deluxe subscription, which will in time, keep adding games to the platform.
Sony previously described the cloud streaming catalogue to include ‘supported PS5 games’ and now, thanks to Arashi, we know which ones they are. The catalogue includes 12 games, scattered between both first-party PlayStation titles that eventually made it to PC and some smaller third-party entries.
For comparison Xbox Cloud Gaming offers up to 1080p game streaming, running at 60fps — a feature that comes packaged with the higher-tier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In a sense, the upcoming PS5 cloud streaming service is a follow-up to the PlayStation Now service — suffering a rebrand after it got integrated into PlayStation’s revised plans. However, the aforementioned beta test is only for the PS5 and unlike PS Now, you can’t stream games onto a PC (the service itself isn’t available in India and several other countries). PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan also claimed, earlier this year, that Sony has ‘fairly interesting and aggressive plans’ for cloud gaming.
For now, it’s unclear whether Sony’s upcoming handheld Project Q will also support cloud streaming, though we already know that it will be limited to 1080p, remotely mirroring a PS5 system you own. It’s also worth noting that in April, the company reportedly tried hiring 22 roles related to cloud gaming technology.