Play Playstation 4 Games on Mac (or Windows) with PS4 Remote Play

Apr 9, 2016 - 12 Comments

PS4 Remote Play plays Playstation 4 games on Mac and Windows

Want to play Playstation 4 games on your computer? Now you can thanks to PS4 Remote Play, available for Mac OS X (and Windows PC). The Remote Play app basically allows you to control the Playstation remotely from a computer, streaming a PS4 game from the Playstation 4 itself to the Mac or PC over a wi-fi or ethernet connection, allowing you to play whatever game is in the PS4, except on the computer.


Requirements are pretty straight forward for PS4 Network Play to work; you’ll need a PS4 console updated to the latest version of Playstation system software, a relatively new Mac or Windows PC with decent hardware, a broadband internet connection that is legitimately fast, with good local networking performance as well, a PS4 controller with USB cable, and a Sony account (like you use on the Playstation). Once you meet those requirements, the rest is easy:

Playing Playstation 4 Games on Mac or PC with PS4 Remote Play

  1. Be sure the Playstation 4 and computer are on the same local network and using the same router*
  2. Go here to download the Remote Play app from Playstation.com and install the app on the computer
  3. Enable Remote Play on the PS4 by going to Settings, then to ‘Remote Play Connection Settings’, and choosing to turn on “Enable Remote Play”
  4. Connect the PS4 controller to the computer with a USB cable, then launch the PS4 Remote Play app and login with the Sony ID, the app will search for and connect to the Playstation and the PS4 or game screen will load in a moment

* After PS4 Remote Play has been setup, you can connect to the Playstation 4 remotely through WAN as well, assuming both the home and remote internet connections are sufficiently fast. Yes that means you can play a PS4 game at home, remotely from your Mac at work or school, assuming the bandwidth is sufficient.

Ps4 Remote Play

PS4 Remote Play should load the game without issue and you’re ready to play it in windowed mode or full screen mode on the computer.

PS4 Remote Play plays Playstation 4 games on Mac OS X and Windows

Adjusting PS4 Remote Play Performance & Resolution

The PS4 Remote Play app allows you to adjust resolution and frame rate as needed through the Preferences, which also may impact performance depending on the computer and networking conditions. If the performance is suboptimal, reducing the resolution can benefit, whereas a fast network should be able to handle 720p gaming at a high frame rate without issue. For best results, be sure the network connections in use are strong with little interference, as a weak signal on wi-fi can cause performance issues.

PS4 Remote Play Settings on Mac

If you have any problems with configuration or issues with the general setup, the previously linked Playstation.com article has a few troubleshooting tips, but generally speaking as long as the PS4 has been updated to the latest system version, the feature has been enabled, and the associated internet connections are solid, it should work just fine with minimal effort.

This is a particularly great option for Mac gamers to have access to a much larger gaming library, and if you already use a PS4 controller on the Mac you may as well go a step further and setup PS4 Remote Play to play the games in Mac OS X as well. Perhaps a similar app will be made available for Playstation 3 and Xbox One?

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in Fun, Games, Mac OS

12 Comments

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  1. avenged110 says:

    You know, it’d be nice if you had mentioned that it also requires OS X 10.10…

    • Oscar says:

      Or that it doesn’t run on Atari 2600, amirite??! Unbelievable! I tried to install PLaystation 4 Remote Play on my lawnmower and the PS4 wasn’t showing up until I sprayed coffee all over the machine, a few tabs of some mystery medicine later, and then it came to me!

  2. gilgameshUnearthed says:

    This post is incorrect when it comes to saying you require being on the same local network, you do not need to be on the same local network!

    It works all the same over the internet. I have used this in practice from friends homes to remote into my PS4 without the use of any VPN.

    You can connect from anywhere without any special configuration, VPN, etc…

    • oinat says:

      This is true, but you still require a high speed internet connection both at home and at the location pulling the PS4 game remotely with. Many broadband connections are not that great in America.

  3. Calibos X says:

    Trying to figure out the last paragraph? Xbox One has had this feature for months…1080p game streaming and it works great. I use it all the time on my surface while my wife watches shows. Plug in my X1 controller and go…Its awesome. You can fool it with a VPN as well, although you’ll get some input lag…Glad to see PS4 add this to an already great system too!

  4. Wharf Xanadu says:

    I am playing ps4 on my Mac. That is playing a game on my Mac. Eric doesn’t get it.

    • Eric says:

      I get it just fine. The CPU and GPU on your Mac isn’t doing the work. Your Mac is basically a dumb terminal or a VNC client for your PS4. I also understand how being able to do this is a plus and cool, I just don’t agree on the semantics used in the title, which gives the impression that your Mac is somehow able to let you play PS4 games on its own, which is not the case.

  5. Eric says:

    So, the headline really should be, “Play Playstation 4 Games THROUGH a Mac (or Windows) with PS4 Remote Play” – rather than “on” a Mac.

  6. valic says:

    And.. where is the deal? If I am in the same network with my PS4 I will play on TV…

    • Rawston says:

      You can pickup a game you had on the TV elsewhere in the house on a laptop, or if you VPN in you can play your games remotely. There are many reasons this is an interesting PS4 feature. Perhaps it’s a trial run for a future of streaming games, much like Netflix….

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