This Android app will transform your PS5, PS4 remote play experience

We never had much luck Remote play. While we used the feature sparingly on our PS Vita, the results were a very much To be desirable, most passive releases with constant drop-out and macroblocking can be rendered unplayable. We saw similar results using the official app on our various phones.

But bought a Retroid Pocket 3+ Recently, we decided to give the technique another spin, and heard positive things about a third-party app called PSPlay. Now, full disclosure, you do need to pay for it: it costs $5.99/£5.99, so it’s a bit on the pricier side. But the results are perfect remarkableand is equal to the asking fee.

Setup is really straightforward, and once you’ve followed all the steps you can wake up your PS5 from rest mode whenever you want to play. We’ve mainly tested local connectivity – which barely worked for us with the official app – but it’s flawless here, allowing us to play PS5 games anywhere in our home with very little compromise.

We reduced the streamed resolution to 720p, as this is closest to the Retroid Pocket 3+’s native panel, and helps maintain a good quality image that rarely macroblocks. There’s a slight bit of input lag, which is practically imperceptible in 3D action games like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Hogwarts Legacy, although you may struggle with time-based rhythm games. Not the end of the world!

We initially struggled a bit to create a controller profile that works well with the Retroid Pocket 3+, as there are some input differences with the DualSense, but you can map some commands (like the create button) to pressing the combination button, that works enough enough And if you’re using a touchscreen, you can customize the layout of the interface.

After all, it has completely changed how we play our PS5. While we still prefer a full-screen, 4K experience, sometimes you just want to hammer some trophies or game progress to bed – and this app made that a viable strategy for us. We’ve always liked remote play in concept, but we’ve never been able to make it work efficiently. Turns out this Android app is a small miracle.