Sony has made it possible to stream games directly from your PlayStation 4 to an iMac or MacBook with Remote Play. Handy if you want to play a game, but someone else is using the TV. In this tip, we’ll explain how it works.
To stream games from your PlayStation 4 to a Mac, it is important that you have installed the latest version of the firmware on your PS4. Remote Play between the PS4 and Mac is supported from software version 3:50.
Stream from PlayStation 4 to Mac: this what you need
- A DualShock 4 wireless controller;
- USB cable;
- Sony Entertainment Network account;
- An Internet connection at high speed. Sony recommends an upload and download speeds of 5Mbps.
To use Remote Play, you must enable the feature in the settings of your PlayStation 4. This is done via Settings > Remote Play Connection Settings > Enable Remote Play.
The iMac or MacBook must meet a number of requirements too. The device should run at least on OS X Yosemite, you’ll need at least 40MB of free space and 2GB of RAM. A USB port is also required because this is where you connect the controller. Finally, before you go through, download the Remote Play software for the Mac. If you have all of this, you can go through the steps below to play PS4 games on your Mac.
That is how it works
- Turn on the PlayStation 4 console, or place it in Rest Mode;
- Connect the PS4 controller to your Mac via USB cable. Wireless gaming is not supported;
- Start the Remote Play app on your Mac and click on your controller to start;
- Log in with your Sony Entertainment Network account that you use on your PlayStation 4;
It may be that you need to connect your Mac and PlayStation 4 manually with each other. This has to do with it if you have noy set the console a the primary system. Follow the instructions on the screen to connect the two devices together. According to Sony, some PlayStation 4 games do not support the Remote Play feature. So you will just have to test to play your favorite games from your Mac.
Troubleshooting PS4 Remote Play
Problems with streaming? This can have various causes. By connecting both your PS4 and Mac via a wire with the Internet, the quality of the connection can be improved. If you use Wi-Fi, it can help to place the console closer to your router.
If your connection is not good enough, you can lower the quality of the stream manually. This is done by starting your Remote Play on your Mac and reduce the video quality and frame rate in the preferences menu. According to Sony, 720p is the maximum quality fit for the PS4. If you really can’t get it to work, you can always contact PlayStation Support.