Sony has announced that it will be launching its own authorised app, allowing players to stream PS4 games to both PC and Mac.
Dubbed Remote Play by Sony, the game streaming features will allow users play their favorite titles on a remote computing device connected through a local Internet connection. Sony Computer Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida, however, did not offer details the upcoming Remote Play version for Mac and PC.
Sony is reportedly looking to bake in DualShock 4 compatibility, as many PS4 games require a full assortment of analog stick, face button, shoulder button and, in some cases, touchpad controls for proper user interaction, according to Apple Insider. The next step would hopefully be expanding mobile compatibility beyond Sony's own phones to the wider Android ecosystem and iOS.
Currently, Sony's existing Remote Play function is limited to various Sony devices, including the PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV and newer Xperia-branded smartphones and tablets. All new PS4 games must be compatible with Remote Play, except for games that use peripherals such as PlayStation Move, Mac Rumors reported. It also has connection problems over WiFi and poorly considered control mapping.
It will be better if Sony allows mouse-and-keyboard controls to be mapped. Remote Play being available for PC and Mac is also incentive for developers to better implement it into their games.
Microsoft launched an identical service on Xbox One, allowing users to sling games to a PC running Windows 10. Sony and has been somewhat open to integrating smartphone and tablet devices into their gaming platform ecosystems. In 2013, Sony revealed PS4 has an accompanying iOS app offering limited second screen capabilities for iPhone and iPad. Microsoft did the same with the Xbox One SmartGlass app.