Welcome to Product Support, a column devoted to helping you get the most out of the gadgets and software you already use.
Here's the conundrum: You want to play PlayStation but somebody else is using the TV. You're not going to kick them off the TV because that's not polite. And it's not super practical to move the console to another TV (if you even have that option). Fortunately, Sony's consoles have a feature called PS Remote Play that allows you to play PlayStation games on your Mac or PC. No TV required.
The catch is that the PS Remote Play feature works by streaming games from your PS4 console to another device, meaning you have to have a PS4 and it will have to be turned on and nearby — you can't remotely play games from a different house, state or country, for example. And the closer you are to your console, the less lag and connectivity issues you're going to experience.
PlayStation 4 owners are are seeing a PS5 Remote Play app appear on their consoles, which means you'll be able to use the Remote Play feature to stream PS5 games to your Mac or PC, too, as well as to a PlayStation 4 console.
In order to take advantage of the PS Remote Play, you'll have to do two things. First, enable the PS Remote Play feature on your PlayStation 4. And secondly, you'll have to download the PS Remote Play app on the laptop or desktop you want to play games on.
Set Up 'PS Remote Play' on Your PlayStation Console
• Turn on your PS4 and go into Settings.
• Select "Remote Play Connection Settings"
• Make sure the the box labeled "Enable Remote Play" is checked.
Set Up 'PS Remote Play' on Your Mac or PC
• Go to Sony's website to download the Remote Play onto the device you want to use.
• Select the operating system, Mac or PC.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to install.
• Launch Remote Play while your PlayStation console is on (or in rest mode).
