PS5’s cloud streaming beta is live – and it supports up to 4K

Sony has begun beta testing cloud streaming PS5 games for some users.

The beta, which is seemingly rolling out to random PSN users, allows players to stream some of their games from the cloud to their PS5. The service will be included as part of PlayStation Plus Premium when it rolls out in full.

The list of supported titles will reportedly include PS5 games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue and Game Trials, plus supported digital PS5 titles that players own.

According to users who’ve been selected for the beta, the service offers 720p, 1080p, 1440p and 4K. This is notable as Xbox Cloud Streaming, the most direct console comparison, doesn’t offer a 4K option currently.

“When this feature launches, cloud game streaming for supported PS5 titles will be available for use directly on your PS5 console,” Sony said when the feature was revealed.

“That means as a Premium member, it’ll be easier to jump into your favorite games without downloading them first onto your PS5 console.”

It added: “As more games continue to launch on the PS5 console, we look forward to adding cloud streaming capability for PS5 titles in addition to the PS3, PS4 and classic titles that are already available for Premium members to stream.”

Earlier this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said PlayStation was gearing up to reveal “aggressive plans” in the cloud gaming space.

“We observe mobility in gaming habits to be an increasingly important trend, and the cloud will be fundamental to allowing us, or indeed anybody else, to exploit that trend,” he said.

“We do have some fairly interesting and quite aggressive plans to accelerate our initiatives in the space of the cloud that will unfold over the course of the coming months.”

More recently, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said technical issues remain with cloud-based gaming, calling the technology “very tricky” but a challenge “we want to take on”.