PS Plus Cloud Gaming Is Now Possible on Steam Deck Without a PlayStation Thanks to Asobi
PlayStation Portal had a slow start, but it later became a success. It first allowed players to stream their PS5 games using a connection to their console. But that was only the beginning.
Sony later added cloud gaming, allowing players to access PS Plus and its game catalog. But what if you could do the same thing on another device?
Steam Deck can now do this thanks to Asobi, a remote play app. Asobi should not be confused with Asobo, the studio behind Astro Bot.
PS Plus Cloud Gaming Comes to Steam Deck Without the Need for a PS5
Asobi: Remote Play is an app that allows PS Plus cloud games to be played on Steam Deck, Steam Machine and other devices compatible with SteamOS.
There were already similar apps for streaming PlayStation games to Steam Deck, but Asobi now makes it possible to access the PS Plus cloud gaming service.
If you have an active PS Plus Premium subscription, you can stream cloud games from its catalog directly to a Steam Deck or Steam Machine. More importantly, you can do it without needing a PS5, which was previously a requirement.
The app is now officially listed on the Steam Store. Instead of requesting an invitation through an external project page, users can now request access directly on Steam by clicking the “Request Access” button through the built-in Steam Playtest feature.
Asobi has a free version that supports streaming at 1080p and 30fps, along with a paid option available as a single one-time in-app purchase that increases the frame rate to 60fps, adds HDR support, 4K upscaling, and much more. A Windows version is already being developed, which will bring the same support to devices such as the Xbox ROG Ally X.
It’s worth noting that Asobi: Remote Play is not an official Sony application. Sony instead offers PlayStation Portal as its alternative for streaming games from the PS5 and PS4 catalog.
In other PlayStation news, analysts say Sony’s decision to end PlayStation discs could shrink the $7 billion used games market.
