How To Play PS4 Games On A PC? Explained [Sep 2023]

Sony is a well-known brand that makes all-time famous gaming consoles and other tech products like laptops and more. The brand’s PlayStation 4 is arguably the most reputed home video game console for enthusiasts. It replaces the PlayStation 3 with better computing performance, graphics outcome, more RAM, a better motion-sensing camera, and more. In short, everything has improved so that you can enjoy a better gaming experience with impressive graphics, visuals, scenes, and resolution. 

Microsoft and its Xbox One are the closest competitors to Sony in gaming consoles. Previously, when the brand stated that Xbox One could be connected to a PC to play the games, Sony made some changes to its consoles. We have seen the PS4 Remote Play feature to connect PlayStations with the PC and play different games. But again, how to play PS4 games on a PC? Well, this post is entirely about this topic. Read this post since we have discussed different methods to establish a secure and safe connection. 

How to Play PS4 Games on a PC?

Multiple methods exist to connect the PS4 to your computer and smoothly play the available games. Firstly, you can use the PC Remote Play App to connect the PS console to the PC and play games. Secondly, you can purchase a PlayStation subscription and play games on a PC without the actual PS console. For the sake of this post, we will discuss both methods of playing PS4 games on your system. For your information, the first method required a PS4 console, while the second one didn’t.

Method 1. Play PS4 Games on a PC using Remote Play App

To play PS4 games on a PC, you have to follow a few steps, including installing PS4 Remote Play software on your PC, starting the PS4 console, setting it up for the app, and then configuring the Remote Play app on your PC. Below, we will discuss all these steps one by one, so you can easily follow the processor and connect your PS4 console to your computer. So, without wasting any time, let’s start!

1.  Requirements to play PS4 on PC

As I mentioned earlier, we’re going to use Sony’s Remote Play App to connect the PS4 to the computer, which is the 1st method on the list. But, there are some conditions or criteria that we have to meet to make the connection possible. For your information, there are two types of requirements. Some are related to the users, but few apply to the operating system; these are different for Windows and macOS.

To connect PS4 to a PC using the Remote Play app, you must have 

1. A PlayStation 4 console.
2. Wireless controller; it may be Dual Shock 4, Dual Sense, or other.
3. USB Wireless Adaptor or a USB cable.
4. A stable internet connection; of 15Mb/s is recommended.

Some other conditions as well, but those wary of Windows and macOS operating system

Factor	Windows	Mac
OS	Windows 10/11	macOS High Sierra or later
Processor	At least 7th Gen Intel Core processor	Any
RAM	2GB (minimum)	2GB (minimum)
Available storage	100MB (minimum)	40MB (minimum)
Display	HD or HD+	HD or HD+
Sound card	Required	Optional
USB Port	Required	Optional

2. Install PS4 Remote Play software

After ensuring the above requirement for the respective OS, Windows, or macOS, the next step is installing the Remote Play software on your computer. The steps of the process include

• Step 1: Open up the official Remote Play website by clicking on the given name. 
• Step 2: Slightly scroll down the page > select Control your PS4 console from a Windows PC from the given options in both Windows and macOS. 
• Step 3: A new window will pop up; scroll down. Tick-mark in the box to agree upon the brand’s license agreement and privacy policy > click the Download button.
• Step 4: After downloading the software, install it > Open the app > click the Sign In to PSN button. 
• Step 5: Log in to the app if you already have an account. Otherwise, create your account and then login into the app. 

Note: After following all the steps, you will have successfully made your entrance into the app. Now, it’s time to set up a few things inside the app and proceed to the next process. 

3. Start Setting up the PS4 console.

After installing Remote Play, it’s time to set up and connect your PS4 console with the app. The step to do so includes

• Step 1: Turn on the PS4 console and go to Settings > select the Remote Play Connection Settings > tick-mark the Enable Remote Play. 
• Step 2: Return back to Settings > click Account Management > select Activate as Your Primary PS4 > select Activate.
• Step 3: Again, return to Settings > click Power Saving Settings > select Set Features Available in Rest Mode.
• Step 4: Tick-mark the box given with Stay Connect to the Internet and the second box for Enable Turning on PS4 from Network.

Note: This way, you can load the Remote Play app despite your PS4 being in Rest Mode. 

4. Set up the PC Remote Play app.

After setting up your PS4 console, it’s time to proceed towards the next step, configuring the PC Remote Play app. A few steps include

• Step 1: Log in to your PlayStation Network or PSN account on your PC > select PS4 to connect with the PlayStation 4 console.
• Step 2: This way, the Remote Play app on your PC will automatically connect to your PS4 console. After establishing the connection, you can see your PS4 on your PC’s screen. 

Note: In contrast, if the computer is using the same network as the PS4, you can use the Remote Play app without activating your console as your Primary PS4 by clicking the Link Manually on the app on the computer.

• Step 4: The final step is to connect the Dual Shock 4 controller to your system. You can use the USB cable or Dual Shock 4 USB wireless adaptors. 

Note: After following all the steps in this section, you can play all available PS4 games on your computer using the Remote Play app.

Method 2: Play PS4 Games on a PC using PlayStation Now.

Even if you don’t have a PS4 console and Remote Play app, you can stream PS4 games on the Windows system with Windows 7+ OS versions. For this, you have to use Sony’s PlayStation Now, which comes under the PlayStation Plus service, a subscription-based package to play games. To apply this method, follow the whole process and every step given below:

But, before downloading PlayStation Plus or going right into the actual process, make sure to check and fulfill all the conditions given below. These include

1. Have an active PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.
2. PlayStation Plus is only for Windows, not for macOS or Linux.
3. You can only stream the games but can’t download them.
4. Ensure to have a DualShock 3 or 4 controller.

If you have ensured all the above conditions, it’s time to go into the actual process. Follow these steps to approach PlayStation Plus Premium on a Windows PC:

• Step 1: Open the PlayStation Plus site and scroll down the page > click the Download PlayStation Plus app button to download the package. 
• Step 2: Install the app after downloading it > Launch it > Sign in to your Sony account. 

Note: If you don’t have one, create one.

• Step 3: Connect the DualShock 4 or DualSence controller to your PC. 

Note: You can use a USB cable, Bluetooth, or wireless adaptor to establish the connection.

• Step 4: If you’ve signed in, select any game you want > click the Start button given under the game’s artwork to start playing. 

Conclusion

It’s good-looking to play the PS4 games on the PC since it gives you better graphics views. But we need to know how to play PS4 games on a PC to make our dreams a reality. Well, we have added two in this post to help you play the PlayStation games on your PC. The first one, using the Remote Play App, is good to go when you have a PS4 console. In contrast, you can follow the second method, using PlayStation Now, if you don’t have a PS4 console but still want to play PS games on your system. In both cases, you must follow a particular set of rules given above. Read them carefully!