Steam Deck owners have a new way to play some PlayStation games without buying a Sony console. Public testing has begun on Valve's platform for the unofficial third-party application Asobi: Remote Play, which allows the use of PlayStation's remote and cloud streaming features.
The application requires a PSN account and an active PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. Thus, buying a PS5 for cloud streaming is not necessary — a compatible Steam Deck and a Sony subscription are sufficient.
The public playtest for Asobi: Remote Play started on August 7. According to the application's Steam page, the basic version offers connection to one's own PS4 or PS5 for remote play, internet streaming support, automatic bitrate adjustment, parameter and profile synchronization, and streaming in 1080p at 30 frames per second. Cloud streaming is available with PlayStation Plus Premium.
For a separate in-app purchase, developers offer an extended 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, latency reduction modes, manual bitrate adjustment, and an experimental FEC mode for unstable Wi-Fi connections.
Additionally, the paid version supports audio latency settings, controller vibration and haptic feedback, Steam Deck gyroscope, image scaling and panning, and an on-screen indicator in the style of a PlayStation light bar.
However, Asobi: Remote Play still has an important limitation: the application is not an official Sony product. Its future and the ability to continue providing access to PlayStation games on a third-party device remain in question. This is especially true for cloud streaming of games, which Sony typically offers through its own ecosystem.