Remote Play

Remote Play is a feature on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, and upcoming PlayStation 4 which allows a PSP or PS Vita user to interact with their PlayStation 3's XrossMediaBar. Users can access music, videos, photos, PlayStation games, PlayStation Store and various applications stored on the PlayStation 3's HDD, or external flash drives and optical media attached to the PlayStation 3.

Remote Play works by encoding a live video stream of the output image on a PlayStation 3, then delivering it over a wireless network connection to a PlayStation Portable. Actions performed on connected devices such as the pressing of buttons are uploaded back to the PlayStation 3 over the same connection. This is similar in concept to remote desktop in Windows and Linux. The audio may also be sent to and played by PSP or PS Vita, or instead delivered through the normal PlayStation 3 audio connections, thus allowing the PSP or PS Vita to be used as a remote control for a PlayStation 3 acting as a media player.

Remote Play to PC

Homebrew developers have reverse engineered the Remote Play protocol allowing the Remote Play function to be used on a computer. The software, titled Open Remote Play currently is available for both Mac OS and Windows and requires a hacked PSP to retrieve the paired device settings that the PlayStation 3 stores on the PlayStation Portable. A Linux port of Open Remote Play[1] is expected soon.

System Software version 2.80 for PlayStation 3 patched the Open Remote Play exploit. However the makers confirm that after the update a connection can still be made.

On April 22, 2010, System Software 3.30 was released for the PlayStation 3 and will allow future Sony VAIO laptops to use Remote Play.[2]

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Remote start

With system software update 2.00, it is now possible to turn the PlayStation 3 system on and off with the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita.

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Software compatibility

Folding@home in Remote Play on PSP.

Sony is allowing developers to let their games on the PlayStation 3 interact with the PSP. Initially, Sony Computer Entertainment only announced two titles that would work with Remote Play.[3]Gran Turismo HD and Formula One Championship Edition were shown at E3 2006 with the PlayStation Portable acting in-game as a rear view mirror to assist the player in the game.[4] However, the Remote Play feature was dropped from both games before release and did not appear in the final version of the game, during the next firmware update it has been announced that such remote play is ready to be activated.

Soon after its release, the PlayStation 3 title Lair was found to work on the PlayStation Portable via Remote Play. The entire game is theoretically playable with no lagging (since the PlayStation 3 itself still processes the game, but the PSP displays it), however due to control problems many actions are difficult to use because the PSP lacks a right analog stick and the L2 and R2 buttons, all of which are necessary for playing the game. Although the PSP can be configured to use the Select button as a modifier key, such that Select+Joystick = Right Analog and Select+Left Shoulder = L2, such manual gymnastics are difficult to perform quickly, and preclude operation of both analog sticks simultaneously. Instead of using Sixaxis, Lair uses the joystick, making it easier to control your dragon. With the current versions of the firmware for both the PSP and the PS3, original PlayStation games can now be played through Remote Play to the PSP.[5][6] When playing PS1 games via Remote Play, the content is correctly shown in 4:3 rather than taking the full widescreen space of the PSP screen. Recently a hack which has followed on from the ability to play backup copies of games has resulted in hackers being able to enable remote play on most PS3 games.[7] Doing so requires a device capable of performing the PSFreedom or PSGroove exploits and modification of an SFO file.

Software titles which are compatible with Remote Play include the following:

Game Type PSP Compatible PlayStation Vita Compatible
Aqua Vita/Aquatopia PSN game Yes Yes
Anarchy: Rush Hour PSN game Yes Yes
Bejeweled 2 PSN game Yes Yes
Bionic Commando Rearmed PSN game Yes Yes
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Blu-Ray Yes Yes
FirstPlay PSN application Yes Yes
God of War Collection Blu-Ray and PSN game No Yes
Gundemonium Recollection PSN game Yes Yes
High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition PSN game Yes Yes
Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Blu-Ray and PSN game No Yes
The Idolm@ster: Gravure For You! Vol. 9 Blu-Ray Yes Yes
Imabikisō Blu-Ray and PSN game Yes Yes
Lair Blu-Ray Yes Yes
LEGO Batman Blu-Ray Yes Yes
Life with PlayStation PSN application Yes Yes
Mainichi Issho PSN game Yes Yes
Misato Katsuragi's Reporting Plan PSN game Yes Yes
Peggle PSN game Yes Yes
Peggle Nights PSN game add-on Yes Yes
PixelJunk Eden PSN game Yes Yes
PixelJunk Monsters PSN game Yes Yes
PixelJunk Shooter PSN game Yes Yes
PlayStation 1 games PSN games Yes Yes
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Blu-Ray No Yes
PlayTV Blu-Ray and PSN game Yes Yes
Robotics;Notes Blu-Ray No Yes
Retro/Grade PSN game Yes Yes
SingStar Blu-Ray Yes Yes
SingStar Vol. 2 Blu-Ray Yes Yes
SingStar ABBA Blu-Ray Yes Yes
SingStar Viewer PSN application Yes Yes
Tokyo Jungle Blu-Ray and PSN game No Yes
VidZone PSN application Yes Yes
Weekly Toro Station PSN game Yes Yes
Zuma PSN game Yes Yes
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Usability

PlayStation Portable in Remote Play mode with PS3 XMB screen.

While using Remote Play, certain menus and functions are not accessible.[8] Below are the operations that can be performed while using Remote Play:

  • Game, Music, Theme, Date and Time, Printer, Sound, Security and Remote Play settings can all be accessed under the "Settings" menu. The Remote Play settings menu offers only the ability to select the audio output (PSP or PlayStation 3).
  • Under the "Photo" menu, it is possible to view photos stored on Media Servers, Flash Media, CDs, the PlayStation 3 HDD and in playlists.
  • Under the "Music" menu, it is possible to play music stored on Media Servers, Flash Media, CDs, the PlayStation 3 HDD and in playlists.
  • Under the "Video" menu, it is possible to play videos stored on Media Servers, Flash Media, CDs, and the PlayStation 3 HDD.
  • Under the "TV" menu, it is possible to operate PlayTV, watch Freeview TV live through the PSP and also BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD.
  • Under the "Game" menu, it is possible to access the Game Data, Memory Card and Saved Data utilities, as well as compatible games.
  • Under the "Network" menu, it is possible to use the Internet Browser, the Information Board, the Online Instruction Manuals and the Life with PlayStation utility.
  • Under the "Friends" menu, it is possible to access the Block List, the Message Box, the Buddy List and the Players Met list. The functions "Add a Friend" and "Start New Chat" are also available.
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Restricted media

There are some types of media that cannot be accessed through Remote Play, they include:[8]

  • Super Audio CDs (Super Audio CDs can be played back if the model supports it. If PSP is selected in Audio Output Device the music will be downmixed to low resolution 2 channel stereo.)
  • Blu-ray Disc movies
  • DVD movies
  • Copyright-protected video files
  • PlayStation 2 Games
  • PlayStation Home
  • PS3 betas of any sort.
  • Playstation Store (Depending on your current Playstation Store Version, you may not be able to access it)
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Last modified on 17 May 2013, at 01:41