In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’m just letting you know that the PS4 has just had a massive update, in the form of PlayStation Firmware 7.0.

This update has increased party chat groups from 8 to 16 and improved the voice quality (congratulations if you have that many friends!)… However more importantly, is the ability to (finally) remote play on pretty much any mobile device, something that we have wanted for what feels like an eternity; essentially turning your controller into a Gameboy or Nintendo Switch for that perfect toilet play time ability to play when the TV is otherwise occupied.

As of writing I am still personally working out the kinks to get the Remote Play to work for me, but here’s a quick how to:

  • Firstly download remote play on your phone, not second screen (this one is your wireless keyboard) via the App Store or Play Store.
  • Register the device with your PS4 by going into the PS settings and getting a code through Remote Play Settings > Register Device
  • Once the code is in, it this should show your PS4 screen on your phone!
  • Next you’ll want to register your controller with your phone, make sure Bluetooth settings are turned on and hold down the share and PS buttons on the controller, this should make your phone find the Dualshock
  • Finally, in theory, you should be able to play PS4 on your phone.
  • It’s worth noting that you have to make sure your PS4 is set as your primary PS4 to make this work. 

So you’ve got all this working and you want to crack on and play whilst your other half watches some rubbish reality programme on the telly, but what do you play? I’d say games such as Bloodborne or Call of Duty are probably too big, and have too much going on to play on the little screen; so, to help you decide, here are my Top 5 Games to play on your new remote play device (in no particular order).

5) Crash Bandicoot / Spyro the Dragon (Remastered versions)

This is a bit of an obvious one for small screen gaming but both of these critically acclaimed remasters are perfect, this theory is backed up further by the fact that they have both performed so well on the Nintendo Switch.

You don’t need a load of extra screen as they’re simple games with no complicated hud filled by a health bar or anything like that. Just pretty little levels to get through with things to collect, plus I have no doubt they’ll still look great at a lower resolution. Although let’s face it; certain levels in Crash may have you throwing your controller/mobile at the wall! Little orange b**tard.

4) Rogue Legacy

I really don’t write about this game enough, I’ve mentioned it before and how it’s easily my favourite indie game of all time and I am so excited that I can finally take it on the go (around the house).

Rogue Legacy consists of procedurally generated and simplistic 2D levels. This diamond of a dungeon crawler will be perfect to play whilst I’m waiting for my dinner to cook in the oven, it’s perfect for Remote Play as it’s easily playable in small bursts meaning I can treat it like a mobile game of sorts.

I also just think everyone should play this gem!

3) Tekken 7

Perhaps being forced to watch “First Dates” is frustrating you so enough that you need an output for some of that anger. In comes Jin Kazama to fulfil those desires you angry little goblin.

Distract yourself from annoying new couples enjoying food by beating people’s faces in. Just remember that you’re very likely to lose (and be careful of input lag) so you may end up even more frustrated! But this could be the perfect time to finally finish the story mode you’ve only played 2 matches of! 

2) FIFA 20 (or any previous entries you cheapskate)

Another game that really doesn’t require the big screen, sure you won’t be able to appreciate the big screen aesthetics as much but maybe you just want to play one more game on career mode. Again a game that can be enjoyed in short bursts as each match is realistically only about 15 minutes long. This makes the FIFA series perfect for pooping or cooking (PLEASE don’t combine the 2). You can see all the reasons I think you should play it here.

1) Pretty much any JRPG

Old school Final Fantasy, World of Final Fantasy, Digimon Story Cybersleuth, the list goes on and on… Hell, Joe’s basically played through the whole of Trails of Cold Steel 3 using just Remote Play! Usually these games are designed to feature pretty simple levels that can be easily traversed on a small screen. This, coupled with the fact that most traditional JRPG’s consist of combat that is simply choosing an attack from a simple menu with no perfectly timed combos to worry about, makes these games make a perfect addition to the Remote Play library allowing you to grind your heroes for a few levels whilst you’re catching up on Corrie…

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