Sony starts testing cloud gaming with PlayStation 5 games in 4K with cloud saves

Ben Schoon | Aug 8 2023 - 7:51 am PT

PlayStation cloud gaming hasn’t really taken off in the same way that Microsoft’s efforts have in the Xbox world, but Sony is preparing a major step up. This week, Sony has started streaming PlayStation 5 games through cloud gaming, and at up to 4K resolution.

As spotted by The Verge, Sony has started sending out invites for a public beta test that brings PlayStation 5 games to cloud streaming. In an email sent to some users, Sony says that “PS5 cloud streaming” is “coming soon to PlayStation 5 and PS Plus Premium.” Sony previously teased this functionality in June.

Sony has previously supported streaming older PlayStation games from the cloud, but this would be the first time PS5 titles would be supported.

On top of that, two other big upgrades seem to be coming here. For one, higher resolution. Users who have been invited to the test, such as ArashiGames on ResetEra, say that streaming is supported in 720p (HD), 1080p (FHD), 1440p (QHD), and 2160p (4K). It is unclear if this refers to rendering the game at 4K or actually streaming it at 4K – Google Stadia was the first cloud service to offer 4K streaming for an additional cost, and Nvidia’s GeForce Now also offers 4K in its highest subscription tiers.

But, perhaps more impactful, is that Sony seems to be supporting the ability to use your cloud saves while using cloud gaming. This would allow users to pick up where they left off on a previous local install when they stream through the cloud, which previously wasn’t possible when streaming.

What games are supported? Sony hasn’t offered any full list (or even publicly confirmed the expansion for that matter), but some games that have been tested by early users include God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Fortnite, Fall Guys, Destiny 2, Returnal, Death Stranding, Resident Evil 8, and others.

Currently, it appears this ability to stream PS5 games would only be available on PS5, with no mention thus far of PC or mobile streaming options.