Play PS Plus on Steam Deck with Asobi Remote Play

What if your handheld gaming device could transcend its physical boundaries? A fascinating new application is bridging the gap between PC gaming ecosystems and PlayStation’s exclusive cloud services, promising to transform devices like the Steam Deck into powerful PlayStation portals.

This groundbreaking development centers around a third-party application called Asobi: Remote Play. Developed by Inside Internet, the tool allows users to access PS Plus cloud gaming and standard PlayStation remote play directly from Linux-based systems, including the Steam Deck and other compatible Linux machines, effectively eliminating the need for a local console connection.

The concept is simple yet revolutionary: turning a flexible handheld into an entry point to the massive PlayStation catalog. To unlock this portal experience, users must hold a PlayStation Network account and an active PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, granting access to streamed titles from the PS Plus catalogue along with ownership of eligible digital PS5 games.

The performance capabilities are designed to be smooth and engaging. Base functionality provides streaming at up to 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second (fps), utilizing automatic bitrate adjustment for stable performance. However, the real magic happens when users opt for the premium features of Asobi.

By upgrading to Asobi Premium, gamers can experience a significant leap forward. This unlocks streaming up to 1080p at a silky smooth 60fps, includes support for HDR, manual bitrate control, and low-latency modes designed for competitive play. Furthermore, the premium package introduces controller haptics and the ability to upscale visuals to 4K resolution.

Even with these advanced settings, output displays can reach impressive 120fps on supported hardware, although it is important to note that streamed games are inherently limited by the source stream’s framerate rather than native rendering capabilities.

While the initial testing is focusing heavily on Linux platforms, developer Inside Internet is planning a future Windows release for the application. This development suggests that this remote play functionality is poised to become a neat workaround for handheld gamers looking for flexible access to cloud gaming services without needing proprietary console hardware.