Steam Deck Gains Ability to Run PlayStation Games Without PS5

Not all, but it is already a replacement for the PlayStation Portal.

Steam Deck owners have a new way to launch certain PlayStation games without buying a Sony console. Valve’s platform has launched a public test for Asobi: Remote Play, an unofficial third-party application that enables PlayStation remote and cloud streaming features.

The application requires a PSN account and an active PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. Buying a PS5 to use cloud streaming is therefore not mandatory, as a compatible Steam Deck and Sony’s subscription are sufficient.

The public playtest for Asobi: Remote Play started on August 7. According to the application’s Steam page, the base version offers connection to a personal PS4 or PS5 for remote play, internet streaming support, automatic bitrate adjustment, settings and profile synchronization, and streaming at 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Cloud streaming is available with a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.

For a separate in-app purchase, the developers offer an expanded set of features. These include full controller support, HDR, 1080p/60 FPS streaming, image scaling up to 4K on compatible displays, output up to 120 FPS, reduced latency modes, manual bitrate adjustment, and an experimental FEC mode for unstable Wi-Fi connections.

Furthermore, the paid version supports audio latency settings, controller vibration and haptic feedback, the Steam Deck gyroscope, image scaling and panning, and an on-screen indicator styled after the PlayStation light bar.

At the same time, Asobi: Remote Play retains an important limitation: the application is not an official Sony product. Its future and ability to continue providing access to PlayStation games on a third-party device remain in question. This applies especially to cloud streaming for games that Sony typically offers through its own ecosystem.